A lovely little video of Huts for Humanity created by the London Chapter of Architecture for Humanity for Clerkenwell Design Week that took place earlier this year. This shows how the huts worked in practice and features short explanations for each hut.
Clerkenwell
Repurpose & Sustainability at Berlin Design Week
As Berlin’s first Design Week gets underway, we’re taking a sneak peak at the top sustainable and recycled designers exhibiting this year. The Design Week is organised by DMY Berlin, an internationally renowned platform for contemporary product design. The organization has been promoting the creative industry nationally and internationally since 2003.
Reditum designs furniture with sustainability, society and economics in mind. They focus not only on the furniture’s past but also on its future, taking into account environmental and social factors. Reditum is the Latin for ‘return’ taking used and discarded materials and bringing them back to life.
Another exhibit to look out for is that by El Reinventor, who uses discarded or reclaimed materials for his designs. Incorporating everyday goods like old silverware, broken instruments and oil barrels into his work, transforming it into something entirely new. His atelier for sustainable objects from “the other side” range from rotating bicycle tables (rotables) to jewellery, and his work is both eccentric and fascinating.
Do not be alarmed by the clowns! Die Fabrik have a range of sustainable and recyclable pieces that have been designed in an extremely practical and unconventional way. They use practical concepts such as flatpack furniture and combine this with the ethos of recycling. Their innovative and unconventional designs, provide a perfect balance in the world of IKEA shoppers and environmental degradation.
Huts for Humanity
Sadly this years Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) was a little disappointing in terms of showing smaller independent designers, however there was still lots to see and do of course.
The fantastic non-profit organisation – Architecture for Humanity – came up with some very innovative design ideas for this years event. They created a village of huts – each with a different theme reflecting the ethos of the global charity.
There was a Green Hut clad with edible plants, a Water Hut which featured an arrangement of pipes and bottles, a Textile Hut that explored soft materials and a Remakery Hut showcasing objects from the Brixton Remakery centre.
Last year Architecture for Humanity launched the successful “Love Architecture” campaign, which saw the “Love Hut” presented in St John’s Lane.
Architecture for Humanity was founded in 1999 by British architect Cameron Sinclair, and operates as a global charity promoting a more sustainable future through the power of professional design.
Where to Sit? Chairs at Clerkenwell Design Week

Dauphin Human Design Perillo Topo chairs
If you’re looking for a place to have a little rest and bit of a sit down then where better to be than in a room full of furniture and fancy designs.
You may wonder why most people seem to be standing or walking around browsing at design events when there is such an abundance of seating options.

Deadgood Working Girl Chairs at CDW
Nevertheless here are some interesting and stylish chair models by a number of designers exhibiting at Clerkenwell Design Week. Today is the last day, so make sure you pop by if you haven’t already.

Arper Spa stools

Arper Spa chairs

Philipp Aduatz Melting Silver Chair

Mitab Boet stool (boet means ‘nest’ in Swedish)
Orange, Orange and More Orange
The colour orange seems to be very popular among designers this year, screaming out at you in at Clerkenwell Design Week.
It’s bright radiant colour invokes a positive energy while also bringing a warmth and comfortable feel to a home setting. It also has a strong retro 70s feel to it, I’m just talking about the colour here. Morgan Furniture’s chairs are not only bright orange but they are also elegant, stylish and very comfortable.
The Modena, Lucca & Metro chairs are part of their brand new collection exhibited in the Farmiloe Building this week.
Jennifer Newman Studio’s M-Bamboo Table
Jennifer Newman Studio will be showcasing their new M-Bamboo table at Clerkenwell Design Week this week.
The M-Bamboo table is the first product designed by the Studio that incorporates bamboo surfaces. And because bamboo is a fast growing, replenishable grass it is also a sustainable resource.
When bamboo is compressed in to solid material it initially has the appearance of a high quality semi-hard wood, it transforms into a dark hardwood following treatment to avoid bacterial degradation for use outside.
The table comes in a dark chocolate coloured top for use outside or inside, or in a light caramel top for inside use only.
The frame of the M-Bamboo table is made of powder-coated aluminium as is the M-Bench which fits the table perfectly.
Jennifer Newman Studio will be exhibiting their designs in the Farmiloe Building at Clerkenwell Design Week from the 21st-23rd of May.
Freyja Sewell at Clerkenwell Design Week
One of the exciting artists exhibiting at Clerkenwell Design Week is Freyja Sewell. Her work has a strong theme of sustainability, and her HUSH pods creating a private space with-in a publicworld are particularly impressive.
The amount of thought and practicality Frejya has put into the design of HUSH as an enclosed space providing a personal retreat is remarkable. She emphasises that modern society, technology and architecture offer great ways to connect on multiple levels but can leave little room for privacy in our everyday lives.
Through HUSH she seeks to provide a way to balance the pressures of growing populations and overcrowding with the need for individual space.
“HUSH provides a personal retreat, a luxurious escape into a dark, hushed, natural space in the midst of a busy hotel, airport, office or library. HUSH provides a quiet space in an age of exponential population growth, where privacy and peaceful respite is an increasingly precious commodity.”
Frejya uses sustainably produced wool for the body of HUSH and recycled wool fibers for the internal padding, produced as a by-product of the British carpet industry.
The HUSH pods are manufactured by Ness Furniture in Durham by skilled furniture craftsmen and women, helping to support and revitalise Britain’s ancient heritage of makers.
Look out for Freyja at Clerkenwell Design Week at House of Detention.