Design As Catalyst
Elliot Lunn
Elliot Lunn’s practice merges a range of design methods to generate creative outcomes and solutions. From studying Sustainable Product Design BA (Hons) Falmouth University, Elliot has prioritised a sustainably conscious approach throughout his MA at RCA.
With experience in product design, engineering and craft he researches and applies solutions particularly to the fields of social sustainability, environmental and education. This unique skill set allows him to deploy an informed and critical approach to the widest interpretations of design, while being able to adapt and change to societal demands.
Key projects include:
Editor & co-founder of the DP publication 2019 - 2020, 2MD
V&A’s Day of Design, London, 2019
Circular City Hack, Designer 2020. V&A’s Day of Design, London 2019
Project managed, Design Products exhibition, Milan 2019
Creative Conscious award for educational tool 2018
Project managed, Greens not Easy, New Designers, awarded Best Stand in Show 2018.
I am a product designer with a passion for designing, making and problem solving. From extracting sand from concrete to make glass, designing educational tools and managing exhibitions. Elliot’s work addresses modest materials, traditional making and education with a concern for sustainability and craft.
Glass from concrete
Experiments
Concrete and glass from concrete
Sand extracted from concrete — The project developed a process of removing and refining sand from spelt concrete, sourced from the construction industry. The extracted samples were taken to the Natural History Museum to be studied under a Scanning electron microscope, this was to review the quartz grains and the crystalline structure covering them.
Microwave kiln — The project in its current state is a work in progress. To turn sand into glass takes temperatures of over 1700°C. The current method uses a hacked kitchen microwave to achieve these high temperatures, it acts as a proof of concept and creates the small samples.
Molten gass from concrete
The world is running out of sand. Apart from water, sand is the most used resource by humankind, 50 billion tons is consumed every year. Concrete and glass could be considered pivotal uses of sand that have shaped the way modern society lives. These materials play an integral role in the structures we inhabit, to the objects we interact with on a daily basis. The construction industry's production of concrete is the main culprit of sand scarcity.
To many, sand can appear to be an endless resource that covers beaches and deserts all around the world, but it is important to note that not all sand is the same. Desert sand eroded by air is too smooth and fine. Beach is full of contaminants such as shell, biomass and salt. Hard quartz grains slowly water eroded makes the perfect suit for the construction industry. This can be found at the bed of rivers and lakes across the world, and are being harvested for this valuable material as we speak.
Medium:
Glass from concreteSize:
6 monthGreyfield website
Greyfield Studio
Greyfield Final 2
Research
Greyfield Project system
West Kensington Youth Group Stool
West Kensington Youth Group Cinema
There are 51,000 empty council-owned garages across London that have the potential to be activated as creative spaces. These underused spaces could become temporary residency spaces for emerging, and established creatives, to promote social cohesion and celebrate the heritage of the estates. As part of the Greyfield pilot scheme, we worked with West Kensington and Gibbs Green Estates. The unused garages in the estates have been utilised to establish an art committee and transformed into artist residency studios.
Outreach is an important element of socially engaged practice and this is especially true with Greyfield. However, like many, Greyfield too has been affected by COVID-19, therefore our approach to outreach had to adapt to these times. Through sending out activity packs and creating online virtual workshops we strengthened our relationship with the West Ken youth club. Developing an expected proposal of a pop-up cinema space, built, designed, and programmed by the young people on the estates.
Greyfield is a replicable model for transforming empty council-owned space which started to emerge from our work within West Kensington, which we plan to continue to develop and deploy after graduating from the RCA.
Find more information from the project website greyfieldproject.co.uk
Medium:
Social sustainablySize:
6 monthIn Collaboration with:
These kits are designed to engage through making and are primarily used as educational tools that accompany workshops. The workshops teach about the effects of e-waste and the value in the objects we simply throw away.
There is a growing realisation of the importance of a sustainable conscious society. Therefore, teaching about complex yet pressing issues to a young audience in an engaging way is fundamental to long lasting sustainable change.
Publication site — Follow the link to read the latest issue of 2MD.
Too Many Designers (2MD) is a publication by Design Products Students at the Royal Collage of Art. We would like to give you a glimpse of what we are thinking, not just making. Welcome to our second issue. Pandemic.
Medium:
PublicationIn Collaboration with:
When The Place Shuts Down: Formafantasma
When The Place Shuts Down: Paola Antonelli
When The Place Shuts Down: Sandeep Sangaru