These objects merge outside & inside world into a new visual, haptic, functional design!

Outside/Inside was created to question the traditional understanding of a “vessel” and reimagine it with materials like pine needles to not only add more function but also give it a refreshing form. “What do you understand as a ‘vessel’? What image comes to mind if I tell you to describe it? Now, how far can you stretch that image? How far is too far?” asked the duo as they worked on reinterpreting the meaning through their design. Just like wild grass, it looks like the ‘vessel’ is growing from the surface it is kept on. What I love is the usage of pine needles because it is an underrated and under-explored natural material. Pine needles also bring a touch of nature inside on your shelf or desk. It also adds a poetic theme to the design as its colors, smell, and texture change over time letting you experience the ‘seasons’ of Outside/Inside.

It works with the existing properties of densely packed pine needles that grip and hold things – use it to hold up memos, stationery, flower stems, and more! Outside/Inside gives the conventional round/square based vessel with walls a new meaning by letting you organize objects efficiently, into an entirely new visual, haptic and functional experience. Breaking away from the clinical nature of modern product design, Its form allows the user to come up with their own unique ways of using the object, striking a sense of curiosity and discovery.

Designer: Gaurav Wali and Yashika Munjal

An Indian designer turned pine-needles into a bio-composite raw material

Pine trees litter a large part of our world, forming a bulk of our evergreen forest cover. They hold immense cultural and religious significance for a better part of the world, and aside from the odd Christmas Tree, Pine Wood, and Pine Nuts, the trees don’t offer much. Their thin, needle shaped leaves are designed and optimized to minimize transpiration, and don’t give off much oxygen, because of their low surface area. There’s nothing much you can do with the vast abundance of pine needles that gather on the forest floor when they fall from trees. In fact, they act as kindling, often accelerating forest fires, causing widespread, unstoppable damage to their ecosystems.

In order to combat this, Gaurav Wali gave Pine Needles a new purpose. He separated the fibers of the pine leaves and bound them together with natural binders and waxes, turning it into a completely natural, bio-degradable composite material. The material has the appearance of Low Density Fiber or reclaimed wood-ash, while also being recyclable, fire retardant, water repellent and causing no pollution or waste in the process. It can be formed into sheets, or pressed into molds to create objects one would create with either wood or terracotta, and aside from looking remarkably raw and unique (and possibly giving off a wonderful aroma of pine), it would rid the forest floor of potential fire-starting dried leaves!

Designer: Gaurav Wali