Bringing the CHEMARTS spirit to the Netherlands
For researcher and educator Sam Edens, the Nordic Biomaterials by CHEMARTS course at Aalto University in 2024 was more than a two-week workshop; it became a reference point for how she now structures her own teaching and research practice in the Netherlands.
“I think it’s really important to have a local, bioregional, and regenerative approach to material research and development,” Sam says. “It’s about considering both cultural and technical aspects.”
Accessible thinking
What drew Sam to Aalto was the unique combination of scientific and designerly approaches to material experimentation.
“I really enjoyed working in the CHEMARTS lab, making materials, going on excursions, and learning from the incredibly friendly staff and other participants. I’d definitely love to do more.”
Sam was combining recipes to achieve a foamy cellulose leather.
Cellulose leather samples, which got their color from various fillers such as pine bark or lignin.
Sam tested different ingredients and processes to achieve leather-like materials.
Normally Sam divides her time at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences between research on biobased façade materials at the Circular Architecture research group and education for the Faculty of Digital Media and Creative Industries, where she coordinates the Biomaterials Studio, a biolab/studio for design and engineering students.
Her CHEMARTS project focused on exploring locally sourced alternatives for ingredients in the CHEMARTS Cookbook, a study of how accessible, abundant materials might replace harder-to-obtain ones.
“I reviewed all the recipes in the Chemarts Cookbook and earlier summer school publications, sorting them by category (hard, flexible, soft, etc.). My goal was to see whether ingredients could be substituted to achieve similar results. I tested this with the Cellulose Leather and Soft Sponge recipes (Jui-Fan Yang, 2019), which are popular in our lab in Amsterdam but can be tricky because we don’t always have ingredients like MCC or MFC. By comparing recipes, students often find they can use a bit more CMC and pulp instead. In my workshops, this helps them understand what each ingredient contributes without needing to dive too deeply into the chemistry.”
Broadening vocabulary and networks
Students working in the Biomaterials Studio, which Sam runs in the Netherlands.
“CHEMARTS helped me structure the approach of our studio in practical terms,” she explains. “It expanded my vocabulary and helped me connect with other professionals in the field.”
Her teaching now echoes the same principles she experienced at Aalto, bridging science, design, and sustainability through hands-on experimentation.
Looking ahead, Sam hopes to grow and expand her Biomaterials Studio into an international hub for biodesign and regenerative materials research.
“Even if you already work in this direction or know the basics, the Nordic Biomaterials by CHEMARTS course is such an enriching experience,” she says. “So many things just fall into place. I learned so much in those two weeks.”
Interested in studying CHEMARTS courses? Apply to Aalto University.
