LONDON.
Joining Bottles is an experimental wood-joining technique using shrunk plastic bottles by Micaella Pedros.
By heat, a simple plastic bottle is transformed into a wood bonding material offering a meaningful and accessible way to build functional structures.
Both materials, wood and plastic bottles, are widely abundant in cities and other places. There are lying there as waste, waiting to be reclaimed by people. Joining Bottles seeks to contribute to new beliefs based on what we, as individuals and communities, can do with what is available to us. In some countries, this project can make a real difference, promoting the collect of plastic bottles and wood waste, and helping people to empower themselves.
The technique can adapt itself to different shapes which allows to compose structures from any appropriate found materials. The different types of wood and plastic bottles available are dictating the final aspect and composition of the work. In that sense, a unique conversation is engaged within each piece. It creates more space for randomness and spontaneity, in other words, for human attributes in the creative process.
Micaella Pedros is a social and humanitarian designer based in London. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Design Product at the Royal College of Art in 2016. Inspired by the values of democratic design and do-it-yourself culture, she truly developped her practice and philosophy during her volunteering experience in Uganda in 2014 and her work/travel in Guatemala in 2015. Through design, she seeks to contribute to society by unveiling ways to play and benefit from local resources and natural forces in order to empower people.
Photos & Video: Micaella Pedros.
