nat hodge is a british designer living and working in london. a product and industrial design graduate from central saint martins, he specialises in working with natural and sustainable materials.
nettle + conifer
ground
frisBee
musa
TEK
cv
nat hodge is a british designer living and working in london. a product and industrial design graduate from central saint martins, he specialises in working with natural and sustainable materials.
nettle + conifer
ground
frisBee
musa
TEK
cv
2022 - present
nettles [urtica dioica] have been a valued resource by humanity for a thousands of years. their value since industrialisation has vastly diminished to near 0, now commonly seen as a nuisance and a weed. it’s fibres are strong, and historically have been used in textiles, just as flax and cotton are still used today. their fibres also provide a great material to weave cordage or rope from.
in this series, conifer wood is utilised in the form of used christmas trees. it is estimated that over 8 million trees are sold in the uk each year, with the vast majority ending up on a few weeks later as wood chip. here i see a point where we can disrupt the status quo, and more sustainably use these resources.
this series explores both nettles and conifer wood and the possible marriage of the two natural materials. the nettles materiality is explored as well as it’s potential within the design context in the hopes of regaining a greater connection to our natural world.
this project was intially designed in conjunction with an online open source platform.