Aalto CHEMARTS alumna Iines Jakovlev, who received the Ornamo Award for her design thesis, honors craftsmanship and slow work processes. She utilizes natural materials collected from roadsides, materials that few consider valuable, in her works.
Read the full story from Ornamo website in Finnish.
Using local materials: Roadside vegetation
Project by Master’s student Iines Jakovlev
Photos: Aalto University/ Bryan Saragosa / Iines Jakovlev
Roadside vegetation can be a large, diverse source of plant-based local materials. In Finland, roadsides are usually mown twice a summer, and studies have shown that mown vegetation should be removed to increase the biodiversity and reduce the eutrophication of the area. This experimental project explores the potential of fireweed, one of the most common plants on the roadsides. During the project, fireweed bast fibres were collected in wintertime, spun into yarn using a drop spindle, and knitted into experimental textile.
