Where: Aalto University, Marsio, Espoo, Finland
When: 1 September- 30 October 2026
What: Exhibition, free entry
CHEMARTS is participating in the exhibition Designs for a Cooler Planet at Marsio as part of the From Waste to New exhibition.
The exhibition presents the CHEMARTS concept stroller for Bugaboo, developed through a collaboration between Aalto University and the Dutch stroller manufacturer. The project brought together students from design, materials science and engineering to explore how renewable and waste-based materials could be applied to future product design.
Alongside the concept stroller, visitors can discover the individual material explorations that informed the project. The student works investigate alternative materials for different stroller components, including:
- Sawdust–methyl cellulose composite backboard
- Hemp and lignin biolace blanket
- Bio-based tar leather seat inlay cover
- Starch-based foam seat inlay cushion
- Recycled fibre foam seat inlay cushion
- Orange peel and wool waste canopy
- Cellulose leather-like product labels
Together, these material studies demonstrate how by-products and renewable resources can be reimagined as functional materials for everyday products. The project explores alternatives to conventional plastics and other difficult-to-recycle materials, asking what future products could look like when material choices begin with renewable resources and circular thinking.
Featured work
Sawdust–methyl cellulose composite backboard
Nikolai Kurochkin, BSc CHEM, 2026
Hemp & lignin biolace blanket
Julia Särkkä, BSc CHEM and MSc IDBM BIZ, 2026
Photos: Esa Kapila
Bio-based tar leather seat inlay cover
Alois Auer & Renata Khayrutdinova, BA in Design and Media ARTS, 2026
Starch-based foam seat inlay cushion
Nooa Laisalmi, BSc CHEM, 2026
Recycled fibre foam seat inlay cushion
Elisabeth Baidoo, BA in Design ARTS, 2026
Photos: Esa Kapila
Orange peel and wool waste canopy
Serranur Zileli, exchange studies MA in Design ARTS, 2026
Photos: Esa Kapila
Cellulose leather-like labels
Alessandra Fini, Bianca-Elena Galan & Cathrin Simbikangwa, BA in Design and Media ARTS, 2026
Teaching team
- Tiina Nypelö (Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto CHEM)
- Anna van der Lei (Department of Design, Aalto ARTS)
- Evgen Multia (Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto CHEM)
- Krista Virtanen (Department of Design, Aalto ARTS, alumna)
- Aernout Dijkstra-Hellinga (Job title, Bugaboo)
- Melanie Wijnands (Job title, Bugaboo)
CHEMARTS
CHEMARTS is a long-term strategic collaboration between two schools at Aalto University, the School of Chemical Engineering (CHEM) and the School of Arts, Design and Architecture (ARTS).
The schools joined forces in 2011 with the aim of exploring bio-based materials in an innovative way. The main objective is to inspire students and researchers to work together with bio-based materials and to create new, sustainable concepts for their future use.
Exhibition contact
anna.van.der.lei@aalto.fi
Footnote
Do you represent a company interested in collaborating with Aalto CHEMARTS? We are now looking for partners to realise the future of good materials selection. Perhaps your future materials could be made from seaweed, orange peels, or sawdust instead of non-renewable plastics and hard-to-recycle materials? Get in touch via email.