DDW 2014: SEA ME BY STUDIO NIENKE HOOGVLIET

Algae yarn and a fishing net make up the most recent project from this Dutch design studio

Algae. We’ve said it before, and we’re saying it again: it’s not just the creepy stuff that clings to your skin and tickles your feet in the sea! It’s also an oft-highlighted material in sustainable design and architecture. Its uses include housing insulation, thermal regulation and even as a dye for textiles. Studio Nienke Hoogvliet has now turned algae into yarn.

The Sea Me rug was presented by the Dutch design studio at Dutch Design Week. To create the rug, bits of yarn made from sea algae were hand-knotted into a disused fishing net. The project directly contrasts a limitless and sustainable material with a synthetic material that is also a source of marine pollution.

It is also an interesting exploration of the use of algae as a textile itself. Algae grows much faster than other natural materials currently used in the textile industry and could provide an alternative to cotton, for example. We look forward to seeing where the designer takes her future experiments.