Bendable battery among sustainable materials at San Francisco exhibition
2023.08.30
Local design firm Prowl Studio and investment company Baukunst have shown a variety of sustainable materials including aquatic plants meant for animal feed and an electric RV at a pop-up exhibition in San Francisco.
Held in July, the BEACON exhibition was a one-day inaugural event featuring San Francisco-based companies exploring sustainable material science, technology and design.
"For BEACON, we selected twelve exhibitors who are at the cutting edge of material science, product design, and systems-level solutions – from carbon-negative protein sources to electric RV's – all while holding design as a key principle," said Baukunst in a statement.
The event was held in a first-floor space of Building 12, a former steel manufacturing plant recently renovated and slated to open later this year.
The participating companies were Anthro Energy, BluumBio, FYTO, Intropic Materials, Lightship, Maa'va, Mango Materials, Mill, Orange Charger, OurCarbon, Sway and unspun.
Each display was staged on a geometric set made of scaffolding, debris netting and plywood shelving with simple metallic lamps used for lighting.
The design is a nod to Baukunst's translation, "the art of building", and an acknowledgement that "our future is under collective construction".
Anthro Energy, a technology company that has developed and produced a flexible battery, laid its products in various shapes, with a central battery twisted into a short helix and held in place with a laboratory clamp.
The batteries are made using proprietary polymer electrolyte technology in order to flex and bend.
Available in different sizes of bands, they are intended to expand the capabilities and design of electronic devices, which are often hindered by the size of traditional batteries.
Agricultural technologists FYTO displayed different species of aquatic crops in beakers, which are grown using the company's automated systems.
The protein-dense plants will be used as an alternative to traditional animal feed, which constitutes a significant portion of global crop production.
Material innovation company Sway showcased samples of its regenerative, plastic-free packaging made of seaweed.
Using natural polymers found in the algae, the company produces a compostable, non-toxic material alternative to plastic.
Outside the building, transportation company Lightship parked its all-electric L1 RV, an EV trailer that features roof-top solar panels and a body that can be automatically compressed into "road mode" or extended for "camp mode".
"It was incredibly rewarding to provide these companies a stage unlike anything they've been able to have before, connecting with a broader community in a rich and diverse way to share the hope their work offers at this time," said Prowl Studio.
Other highlights include the all-inclusive food recycling service by Mill, a recycled material made to replace concrete by Maa'Va and 3D-weaving technology created by Unspun.
Prowl Studio recently developed the first injection-moulded chair that can be composted and collaborated with Byborre on textile informed by the California wildfires
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▪ Source: Dezeen｜https://www.dezeen.com/2023/08/23/prowl-studio-baukunst-beacon-exhibit/
▪ Words: Ellen Eberhardt
▪ Photography Credit: © Cody James Perhamus
