Anne Julia Ländle

This degree project explores the possibility of creating a new furniture material based on grass and roadside flowers, an untapped resource that could potentially replace materials like MDF and particleboard. Every year, large quantities of furniture are discarded. Many of these have been made from particleboard containing synthetic binders and other chemicals which make it difficult to recycle. By combining grass clippings, wood waste, and natural binders, this project investigates how a biodegradable material can be formed using heat and pressure.
The process includes material research, experiments with natural pigments and flowers and the development of larger panels with high durability. As part of my degree project, a cabinet is constructed; this is a functional piece of furniture where the material’s properties are tested in a real-world context. The project challenges how we can design furniture that is not only aesthetically appealing but which also contributes to a circular economy and supports biodiversity.