Duckweed Biocomposites
Duckweed grows rapidly in local waterways, forming dense mats that block sunlight from reaching deeper aquatic ecosystems. Illuminated Overgrowth captures this ecological phenomenon by harvesting the abundant biomass from Nuenen's canals and transforming it into a series of biocomposite lamps. Through a precise bio-fabrication process involving autoclaving and crosslinking, the raw plant matter is bound with natural polymers. Additionally, through a collaboration with the Biopolymer Application Centre (BAC), one of the lamps was created using a composite of duckweed and Solanyl.
The resulting collection acts as a physical demonstration of the plant's effect on water. By altering the concentration of the biomass and the processing methods, each lamp is engineered with a distinct density and opacity. These material variations dictate how much illumination passes through, directly mimicking the varying degrees of light blockage found in nature. Through this process, Illuminated Overgrowth turns an environmental issue into a practical, sustainable lighting solution.
