»[Un]shine« is a refillable oil candle that can be filled with reused cooking oil, transforming waste into a valuable resource.
Lorena Droste
Fotos: Dominik-Antoni Krolikowski, Liliana Carls
In the EU, an average of two kilograms of candles per person are burned each year, while around 15 kilograms of cooking oil are used on average, much of which is discarded after cooking.
»[Un]shine« makes use of this waste and offers an alternative to fossil-based paraffin candles. The candle is designed to bring a subtle, warm light into any space. Even without a burning flame, it remains an elegant object and encourages a shift in thinking toward more sustainable lighting solutions.
»Pießkanne« is a speculative object and app that turns urine into fertilizer by enabling its collection and reuse in local nutrient cycles.
Max Popp
»Pießkanne« addresses a challenge in the nutrient cycle that arises as a side effect of modern agriculture and sanitation infrastructure. Put simply, we no longer relieve ourselves within the ecosystems that provide our food, thereby disrupting the natural nutrient cycle.
The term »sanitation transition« already encompasses various approaches to this issue, many of them on an industrial scale; however, the mixing of urine with feces and other wastewater remains a major obstacle. »Pießkanne« offers a playful reinterpretation of the Western urination ritual, placing the resource value of urine front and center.
It consists of a speculative ritual combining a physical object and a companion app: the object merges the functions of a watering can and a seated urinal, enabling the collection, dilution, temporary storage, and targeted application of urine.
The app provides information on nutrient content, assists in calculating fertilization amounts, and playfully encourages users to return as much urine as possible to the local ecosystem, replacing industrial and fossil-based fertilizers.
»Elbo« is an elbow-operated, touch-free waste bin system for public toilets that enables hygienic disposal of hygiene products and promotes cleaner sanitation in shared spaces.
Maike Burghoff
The elbow is increasingly being used as a hygienic alternative to the hand for everyday movements. The lever waste bin for public toilets picks up on this movement and makes it possible to dispose of hygiene products quickly and without touching them. It is positioned directly next to the toilet and can be operated comfortably while seated. With a slight backward movement of the arm, the user pushes the lever backwards, causing the flap and bin to swing forwards so that the waste can be dropped directly. When the arm is pulled back, the opening closes automatically. To empty, the flap is pulled forwards and the container is removed. A stop holds the corpus in position and makes the process easier. The lever waste bin not only makes it easier to dispose of waste when visiting the toilet, but also promotes hygienic behaviour in public spaces and helps to prevent unwanted waste disposal via the toilet.
»Digital Compost Lab« explores how we can rethink digital excess as a regenerative resource.
Vinay Khare
Photos: Katharina Ley
Developed by Vinay Khare during his SBYD Tech Residency, the Digital Compost Lab investigates how we can make intangible digital decay tangible and meaningful while fostering a culture of mindful digital consumption. Through participatory interactions, digital media is transformed into evolving soundscapes, glitch art and cross-medium expressions, rethinking waste as a beginning rather than an endpoint. In a world of constant production, digital overproduction leaves invisible yet tangible traces, from server emissions to cognitive overload. The project is informed by the contrast between the cyclical biosphere, where waste becomes nourishment, and the largely linear anthroposphere, where production accumulates. The Digital Compost Lab is situated within this context and asks how we might rethink digital excess as a regenerative resource. Using analogue technologies such as cassettes and tape loops, as well as older technical processes, the work highlights the physical and temporal qualities of data that are often overlooked in the modern digital age. The work was presented at Museum Folkwang. - This residency was part of SBYD, through which Folkwang University awards grants to international artists and designers invited to Essen to realise their own projects on site. In 2025, the programme’s third round was announced in India. In collaboration with Museum Folkwang and the Goethe-Institut Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore.
Algae are considered one of the most promising resources of the future – they grow quickly, are nutrient-rich, and sustainable.
Arba Shabanaj x SPACE FOR FOOD
Photo Credits: Dominik Antoni Krolikowski
In a time when global food resources are becoming increasingly scarce and unstable, algae are gaining attention as an alternative source. Yet, they are still hardly anchored in Western food culture. This is where my project comes in: How can a forward-looking marine resource like algae be transformed into an everyday dish for Western tastes? The result is SeaPasta – a series of algae pasta, a matching sauce, and a reusable packaging and label system. The aim is to create a coherent overall experience that feels familiar while introducing new flavors. The algae pasta stands out through its distinct ocean flavor, its varied colors depending on the algae type, and a design that subtly evokes the sea. A complementary sauce and a baking mix based on algae powder complete the series, making algae an accessible and contemporary part of our diet.
Fruit gummies are among the most popular sweets in Germany. Algae, on the other hand, remain largely absent from Western eating habits—despite their remarkable nutrient content and sustainable cultivation potential.
Alginis bridge this gap: these innovative, vegan fruit gummies combine a beloved snack format with the health benefits of microalgae. This makes algae more accessible and allows consumers to enjoy tasty, nutrient-rich gummies without guilt. Alginis are available in three delicious flavors: Apple–Lemon, Apple–Ginger, Lime–Raspberry. Sweetened with agave syrup and flavored with real fruit juice, they are free from artificial additives. Their signature texture comes from agar-agar, a plant-based gelling agent derived from algae. The included microalgae Chlorella and Spirulina provide valuable nutrients such as natural vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and other trace elements – making them a smart addition to a plant-based diet.
Each flavor variant is uniquely shaped, inspired by the natural forms of macroalgae. Visually uniform in a deep black color, the gummies measure approximately 3.5 cm and weigh 1.5 g per piece. The packaging, made from cellophane and printed paper, features a minimalist black-and-white design and is fully biodegradable.
How can we make the hidden treasures of nature accessible to everyone?
Nora Jo Czardybon x SPACE FOR FOOD
Photo Credits: Nora Jo Czardybon, Dominik Antoni Krolikowski
This question is explored through something very everyday: food. More precisely, ice cream – a treat that carries lightness, joy, and memories of childhood. With it, I wanted to make wild herbs approachable in a new way and show that nature isn’t distant or strange, but right outside our door.
The ice cream is vegan, locally sourced, and shaped like a leaf – a symbol of its origin. The herbs and blossoms don’t just create new flavors; they also highlight the richness and value of our surroundings.
It’s less about a food product and more about an experience: noticing nature, appreciating it, and weaving it into daily life. In this way, a simple ice cream becomes a small spark – sharpening our awareness of what’s around us, and maybe even inspiring us to go on our own little journey of discovery in nature.
Photo Credits: Yamuna Rösch, Dominik Antoni Krolikowski
What’s often dismissed as a nuisance is, in truth, a culinary treasure: garlic mustard, burdock and nettle grow wild, overlooked – yet full of flavour. The Fundstücke (Findings) celebrate the unexpected, the unwanted, the underestimated. Inspired by medieval vegetables, Greek pasteli, and Japanese senbei, they are a savoury-sweet greeting from the wild.
Can we approach algae from a nutritional perspective by learning not only to work with their natural umami flavor, but also with their natural appearance and texture?
Mary Ann Evangelista x SPACE FOR FOOD
Photo Credits: Dominik Antoni Krolikowski
ALGREMA is a collection of three algae-based pralines that offer a healthy and sustainable alternative to conventional chocolate pralines. The pralines are based on the brown algae Kombu presented in three different states: fried, simmered, and freshly dried. As a flavor and visual contrast, the purple yam Ube adds a creamy sweetness. Green-brown Kombu strips meet geometrically shaped Ube bodies. Sweetness and umami, chewiness and creaminess engage in a culinary interplay. Selected spices and toppings give each ALGREMA 1, 2 and 3 its own unique character.
The collection is complemented by three specially designed cutlery named ESSMUSCHEL (eating shells) whose shapes are inspired by oyster shells. This deep drawn cutlery allows for enjoying Kombu broth alongside the algae pralines.
Der »Green Grow 4000« is a photobioreactor designed for the windowsill, enabling the daily harvest of a fresh portion of spirulina algae.
Lina Walter x SPACE FOR FOOD
Photo Credits: Dominik Antoni Krolikowski, Lina Walter
Its analog design is reduced to the essential functions required for microalgae cultivation. Sunlight provides the energy for photosynthesis, while manually stirring the nutrient medium ensures sufficient oxygen supply, allowing the reactor to operate entirely without electronics.
At the core is a closed-loop system that integrates cultivation, harvesting, and recycling of the nutrient medium. Through a siphon effect, the medium flows from the glass container into a removable stainless steel filter with 300 mesh. Here, the algae are separated from the liquid, which is then returned to the growth vessel, enabling continuous cultivation of new spirulina. The modular construction made of glass, stainless steel, and PETG uses simple plug connections, making the system easy to clean and repair. Its clear, minimal design places spirulina itself at the center, presenting it as a living food. Spirulina is rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll. In its fresh form, these nutrients are especially well preserved, while its slightly nutty flavor and creamy texture, paired with its vibrant green color, create an additional sensory experience. In this way, the ‘Green Grow 4000’ makes it simple and sustainable to integrate microalgae cultivation into everyday life.
Paper leather is a vegan alternative to animal leather and can be dyed with pigments extracted from dye plants. These botanical dyes are known for their rich and long-lasting colours and have been used for thousands of years across cultures to colour textiles, food, and cosmetics. The guide encourages experimentation with local dye plants such as madder root, birch, or woad to create unique colour combinations. Unlike synthetic dyes, which are typically petroleum- or coal-based and have a significant environmental impact, natural dyes provide a renewable and resource-efficient alternative. The project combines traditional knowledge with contemporary design and promotes a resource-conscious design practice.
»Ignite the Light« is an interactive lamp that recalls the primal form of human light production: fire.
Maike Burghoff
Photos: Dominik-Antoni Krolikowski
Similar to a fire drill, a wooden rod is rotated between the hands, converting energy into light. Initially, a faint red glow appears, gradually intensifying into a bright, warm white light with continued rotation. About half a minute of turning provides the lamp with enough energy for 30 minutes of light. Once the stored energy is depleted, the light fades, making the process of energy generation and consumption tangible.
The »Bike Generator«, built by Folkwang students under the guidance of Kris De Decker and Marie Verdeil from Low-tech Magazine, is a human-powered energy system designed to generate electricity through pedalling.
LOW-TECH MAGAZINE: Kris De Decker Marie Verdeil
FOLKWANG STUDENTS: Maike Burghoff Sangwoo Cheon Riccarda Gumbinger Leonie Kohlenbach Joshua Lefnaer Marzieh Mokhtari Baghkomeh Nick Ruppel Yifei Shi
Photos: Dominik-Antoni Krolikowski
It aims to promote low-tech solutions that are environmentally sustainable and to foster reflections and discussions on energy use and generation.
The bike’s front wheel is connected to a generator that can power a variety of electronic devices. In the SBYD exhibition at Dutch Design Week, it is connected to a neon sign above the entrance of the exhibition, which visitors can power by pedalling.
»Eggshell Plant Pot« is a biodegradable pot made from discarded eggshells, designed to enrich soil and promote plant growth while reducing waste.
Lilli Seiler
Photos: Dominik-Antoni Krolikowski
In food production, eggshells are often discarded despite containing valuable minerals like calcium and micronutrients such as copper, iron, and zinc. This project explores eggshell-based biomaterials, focusing on recycling waste into a closed cycle. By processing eggshells into biodegradable pots using plaster moulds, these plant pots aim to enrich calcium-depleted soils and support plant growth.
Pulp moulding, the process used to make products like egg cartons, is a three-dimensional papermaking technique typically limited to large-scale industrial production
Max Popp
Photos: Emmélie Lempert, Theo Winter, SDYD
»Pulp Moulding from Batch Size 1« introduces an open-source tool designed to enable small-scale pulp moulding, using inexpensive 3D-printed mesh tooling. Water is drawn through the mesh, leaving the pulp fibres behind to form a solid layer. Beyond its educational and practical applications, the tool also serves as a platform for experimenting with other bio-based materials and sustainable coatings as alternatives to paper pulp.
»A Window Seat and the South Seas« is a design intervention inspired by a defective radiator controller at Folkwang University of the Arts.
Moritz Gremm
Photos: Dominik-Antoni Krolikowski, Moritz Gremm
For several years, this radiator has been running at its highest setting, with repair attempts proving unsuccessful. The project utilizes the excess heat and draws attention to this situation by transforming the space next to the radiator into a place to spend time – on a bench inspired by historical window seats, or on a cushion next to a textile palm tree, reminiscent of a tropical holiday. Huddled against the radiator, your thoughts wander into the distance, just like they do when you look out of the window or lie on the beach.
»The pop-up toilet« is a mobile urinal for people with vulvas that improves access to safe, hygienic, and sustainable sanitation in public spaces.
Celine Heier
The pop-up toilet is a mobile sanitation solution for people with vulvas that can be attached to trees or other stable objects using a tension strap. It was developed to improve access to toilets in public spaces and to provide a hygienic, practical alternative.
While people with penises often have easy access to urinals and public piss points outdoors, people with vulvas are often left searching for a toilet — frequently involving long waiting times, high costs, or unhygienic conditions. The pop-up toilet creates a protected, easily accessible space that can be used spontaneously and flexibly.
Ideal for festivals, park visits, or camping, it can be connected to a canister to help protect the environment. The urine can then be safely and responsibly disposed of through the sewage system. The urinal not only promotes greater equality in public spaces, but also offers a sustainable solution to an everyday problem.
»LRA.01« (from the German term »Lötrauchabsaugung«) is a solder fume extractor designed to make occupational safety more accessible.
Lucas Dieckmann
Photos: Julius Barghop, SBYD
Soldering releases harmful fumes, and safety guidelines mandate extraction systems, which can be costly. The »LRA.01« addresses this by using standard parts and materials from building technology to reduce costs. It avoids expensive moulds by shaping sheet metal with plumbing techniques, making it affordable. Easy to repair and with readily available parts, it minimises both investment and maintenance costs, allowing more people to solder safely and affordably.
»Cracker« is a piece of furniture that makes use of damaged particle boards, giving them new life. Particle boards are used for many purposes, but damage to the veneer often prompts people to replace and discard them.
Debora Weusthof
Photos: Debora Weusthof, SBYD
»Cracker« transforms discarded particle boards by opening them up and CNC-milling them into new shapes. The milling process creates a wave-like structure that conceals any damage to the original board. The finished surface has two opposing sides with the same structure and dimensions, allowing multiple pieces to interlock and to be seamlessly stacked.
»Re:source« is a project focused on repurposing e-waste by reusing electronic components from discarded electronic devices in newly designed functional products.
Supported by a digital library that records used electronic components, the design process disassembles and reconfigures outdated devices into new ones, allowing these repurposed parts to be considered from the outset. The resourceful, circular design approach of »Re:source« challenges conventional design processes and moves away from the aesthetics of newness. By incorporating discarded electronic components into new products, the project highlights the unique characteristics of different donor devices, shaping their unconventional forms and questioning traditional design methods. A series of coffee grinders designed in this way illustrates the circular design process and its distinctive approach to form-giving.
The project was developed as part of the SBYD Designer-in-Residence programme and was exhibited for the first time at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven in 2024.
»Shroom« is an indoor mushroom garden that offers a simple and aesthetically pleasing way to grow Lion’s Mane mushrooms at home.
Paul Hartmann
Photos: Paul Hartmann, SBYD
Renowned for their versatile texture and taste, Lion’s Mane mushrooms make an excellent meat or seafood alternative. Growing them at home not only reduces the need for transportation and packaging, but also has a lower carbon footprint compared to consuming meat or seafood. »Shroom« provides a reusable, visually appealing alternative to plastic grow bags, aiming to encourage and educate people about domestic mushroom cultivation.
»Fungiture« explores thermal pressing as a new method of processing mycelium-based materials in the context of furniture design.
Paulina Heidlberger
Photos: Lena Zülch, SBYD
Fungi are used as veneer and fused with wood under heat, creating stable, homogeneous, and visually interesting panels – without the use of adhesives. The approach behind »Fungiture« highlights new aesthetic possibilities, turning each stool into a unique piece. It showcases the use of alternative materials and sustainable methods in furniture production and aims to foster a broader acceptance of these.
