The lectures are in English unless stated otherwise. The lecture programme is subject to change.

Discover the transformative power of recycling at MaterialDistrict Utrecht’s “Recycling and Waste” lecture programme. Join us to explore inspiring examples and learn about the pivotal role of design in sustainable recycling initiatives.

Moderator: Anouk Groen

Discover the forefront of design innovation at MaterialDistrict Utrecht’s “Biodesign” lecture series. Learn about biomimicry, integrating nature into sustainable designs. Join us for an inspiring journey into the future of design!

Moderator: Simone de Waart

10:45 – 11:15

Rogier Heijning, Wastecraft
The new aesthetics of waste

Rogier Heijning is creative director of WasteCraft, a two-year-old Dutch design agency that does not hide waste in data sheets, but uses it as a new aesthetic to inspire and enthuse people about recycling. They have already presented their products at DDW 2022 and 2023 and at Salone del Mobile 2023.
WasteCraft was created from WasteBoards; skateboards made from recycled soda bottle caps. WasteBoards is now sold in Moma NY and The London Design Museum. WasteCraft works on behalf of customers to create their own waste design, and has its own product line and sheet material with which it collaborates with other designers.

11:00 – 11:30

Safiye Özkan & Haydar Bayindir, Atelier Barb
Unleashing Curiosity: Transformative design possibilities in unexpected materials

Safiye Özkan was born in Turkey in 1998. After graduating, she co-founded Atelier Barb, a nature-driven design studio, with product designer Haydar Bayindir. At Atelier Barb she focused on producing responsible materials and products, food design and installations.
Born in 1997 in Istanbul, Haydar Bayındır is a product and material designer with a bachelor’s degree in industrial design. Since 2020, he has played a central role at Atelier Barb, overseeing design and materials development, production, quality and prototyping, all at the intersection of design and technology.

11:20 – 11:50

Ilse Evers, Eversom
How to discover materials

Ilse Evers is founder of Dutch design studio Eversom. They transform rejected fire hoses into powerful objects, ranging from monumental rugs to detailed room dividers, playful wall covers and everlasting bags. Circular design with a classic beauty and a heroic story. With her background in theater and dance Ilse is trained to use objects and materials in ways they weren’t designed for. Looking at possibilities and qualities beyond its first perspective, opens a world of possibilities that can elongate the lifetime of a material. This unconventional
perspective combined with a love for craftsmanship is the base of her material explorations
and product designs.

11:35 – 12:05

Marte Mei van Haaster
Land-Allyship, spatial design in alliance with nature

Marte Mei views the role of design as forming an allyship with nature. She formulated the methodology: Land-Allyship: a site-specific design and research method that sees the role of designer in an environment as an ally of non-human life. Applying Land-Ally principles, she forms a relationship between humans and the environment through attractive and stylish visual installations and architectural applications. The designer’s role in this process is a nurturer, facilitator or partner of nature, rather than a ruler or user of resources. By conducting site-specific research into available (residual)materials, ecological restoration possibilities and facilitating relationships, Marte creates installations and interiors that are part of the environment rather than form a disturbance.

12:10 – 12:40

Lisanne Kamphuis, Sustaign
Van afval tot kunstwerken: de visuele kracht van creativiteit bij plasticrecycling (NL)

In today’s sustainable economy, the visual aspect plays a crucial role in our perception of recycling. It’s not just about reducing waste anymore; it’s about creating something remarkable out of discarded materials. And when it comes to plastic recycling, the possibilities are endless.
The importance of creativity and innovation cannot be overstated in this context. We need a fresh perspective on reusing materials. We strive to use recycled materials, but still desire the high-end look and feel of materials like marble or natural stone. That’s why we have dedicated ourselves to showcasing how plastic waste can achieve these same visual aspects through our unique process.

12:25 – 12:55

Lucie Gholam
Material Empathy: Sculpting stories with hemp, plaster and recycling

Born in a French-Lebanese Family in 1999, Lucie Gholam graduated in 2019 from l’École Boulle in Paris before going on to study at Aalto University and graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2023. Her double nationality led her to be constantly searching for the traits of her identity as a designer. Design is for her a laboratory of investigations on what surrounds her, it allows her to discover many techniques and materials. She tries to bring practices together through the lens of researching her own personal story and loves to play with archetypes. By
questioning both material qualities but also objects and spaces, her research focused on working with new, more circular materials and adding value to what’s already existing.

12:45 – 13:15

Reinder Bakker, Pretty Plastic
Experimenting for a New Sustainable Aesthetics in Architecture

As one of the founders of architectural design firm Overtreders W Reinder Bakker wants to radically change architecture by innovating for a more sustainable future. By making architecture demountable and reusable, by borrowing and leasing materials, and by using biobased and recycled sources, he develops a new perspective on building. The results are delightful, unexpected and functional designs with new contemporary aesthetics.
In 2020 Reinder, together with Hester van Dijk en Peter van Assche, started Pretty Plastic, a company that produces building products from 100% upcycled plastic waste. The Pretty Plastic cladding tiles look great, are easy to apply and last forever. From trash to tile! Pretty Plastic contributes to a circular economy where waste does not exist and resources are used over and over again.

13:00 – 13:30

Georgie Gerrard
Mycelium: Its potential as a material in the construction and interior industries

Georgie Gerrard is a UK-based designer with a background in multimedia textile design. In recent years, she has experimented with mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, crafting sculptural objects and furniture pieces. Mycelium possesses unique and beneficial qualities suitable for the construction, interior and textile industries and, perhaps most importantly, mycelium is entirely bio-based in origin, with significantly less environmental impact compared to materials currently dominating these fields. Georgie aims to continue pushing the boundaries of this material, exploring its potential in terms of form, composition, surface quality, and its interaction with other new and existing materials within these industries.

Door: Anouk Groen

Door: The Good Plastic Company

13:20 – 13:50

Anouk Groen, RNA Design
4 sustainable design trends – to implement right now!

Anouk is a designer, presenter, facilitator of trends in the product, mobility and sports industries. With an international background in design and marketing, Anouk worked many years in the motorcycle and product design industry before starting her own consultancy.
Her main goal is to support companies in making relevant sustainable choices in CMF (colour, material, finish) and product styling.
Extensive research of different industries ranging from automotive to interior to fashion linked to social movements forms the trends. The presentations are made up of mood-boards, keywords and trend drivers that can be used as a guide to future design decisions.

13:35 – 14:05

Dr. William Chizhovsky, The Good Plastic Company
Beyond Compliance: A Deep Dive into Sustainable Materials Certifications

Dr. William Chizhovsky is an accomplished business professional with over seven years of experience in international trade, business development, and management. With a proven track record of success, William has managed an International Trading Company, run his own business in Japan, and served as a Member of the Board of Directors and Global Director of Strategic Initiatives at a publicly traded IT company with $1 billion in annual revenue. He is now the proud Founder and CEO of The Good Plastic Company, where he is dedicated to promoting sustainable design and environmental responsibility. His entrepreneurial spirit and strong leadership skills have contributed to his success and position as a respected industry leader. In terms of academic background, William earned a Master’s Degree in Management from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in Economics.

Pascal Leboucq, co-founder and chief designer at Biobased Creations, presents the new programme line the Regenerative City and Infrastructure. Together with a number of pioneers in the field of regenerative development, he explores the opportunities and challenges of the ambitious transition, with specific water management as a blue guideline. By inviting various parties in the chain, he emphasizes that collaboration is essential to realize real system change.

Moderator: Biobased Creations

A continuation of the lecture series on biodesign.

Moderator: Simone de Waart

14:00 – 14:30

Pascal Leboucq, Biobased Creations
Een blik op de toekomst: De kansen en uitdagingen van de Regeneratieve Stad (NL)

Pascal Leboucq was classically trained as a sculptor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and specialized in Public Space at the Design Academy in Eindhoven. Pascal is cofounder and head of design at Biobased Creations (New Heroes), he creates urban and biobased art installations and cross-disciplinary scenographies. In addition to his work for New Heroes, Pascal develops his own projects and works as a freelance scenographer for various theater companies at home and abroad. In this open table discussion with the 5 speakers, they discuss what is needed to accelerate this transition and what the missing links are at the moment.

14:15 – 14:45

Sven Erni, Impact Acoustic
From Synthetic to Organic: The New Era of Acoustic Materials

Sven, founder and CEO of Impact Acoustic, leads the Swiss company known for its high-performance circular acoustic solutions. With a BSc in international hotel management from EHL, Lausanne, he founded Impact Acoustic in 2019. The company’s new flagship product, ARCHISONIC® Cotton, made from renewable materials, marks a significant step towards a circular future. This natural and fully recyclable sound absorber, available in 24 natural colours, combines environmental responsibility with elegant design. Incorporating both recycled PET and bio-based materials, Impact Acoustic embodies the synergy of eco-innovation and aesthetic sophistication.

14:35  – 15:05

Tijs Van Ruth, Waterleider
Wateriaal (NL)

Tijs van Ruth, entrepreneur, inventor and communicator, knows how to inspire various groups and encourage them to take action, ranging from toddlers and students to residents’ groups and architects. His source of inspiration comes from his daily work, which at first glance appears to be a seemingly disjointed whole of technology, design, communication, research and activism. With a holistic approach, he always strives for solutions to sustainable issues, with Tijs making surprising connections to achieve innovations. For five years he has been actively involved in WaterLeider, a movement that promotes water awareness. This success is partly due to other WaterLeaders who pursue similar goals autonomously and from their own perspective.

14:50 – 15:20

Lena Winterink
Symbiosis of design and textile innovation

Lena Winterink specializes in material research, concept development and experimental design. She delves into themes such as sustainability and social cohesion to shape new perspectives upon the relationship we have with the environment and the materials that surround us. This translates into narrative designs, in which textiles play a leading role. In collaboration with with crafts(wo)men, creatives, scientists, institutes and industry partners, the design are implemented to arise awareness and make complex themes literally tangible.

15:25 – 15:55

Jacques Vink, Ruimtelab
Water Natuurlijk! (NL)

Jacques Vink is an architect and nature-inclusive designer. With his architectural firm Ruimtelab, he works in various collaborations on design and advice in the field of the circular city, bio-based construction and the design of urban nature. The starting point is to combine design and research for innovative architecture and urban development. The results have been published in, among others, ‘Making Urban Nature’ and ‘Building Urban Nature’, of which Jacques is one of the authors, together with Piet Vollaard and Niels de Zwarte. He also gives workshops, fulfills the role of advisor and is a design lecturer at TU Delft.

15:45 – 16:15

Dana Liv, Co-Flora
New versatile opportunities of natural cork

Dana Liv combines environmental engineering education with personal and professional passion for sustainability and positive environmental impact. She has worked as a green buildings consultant in London, later ran an eco tourism agency in Portugal; now she is focusing on educating and promoting sustainable circular design and construction. She founded CoFlora design to supply biobased (made of organic cork) materials for product and space makers, in order to facilitate greater awareness and circularity in the industries of interior design, fashion
and construction. By means of those products and trainings, Dana offers ecological natural solutions for companies that are willing to step up the game and effectively improve their environmental performance and carbon footprint.

16:00 – 16:30

Max Latour, Urban Reef
Urban Reef (NL)

Max Latour is a computational designer and founder of Urban Reef. He studied architecture at TU Eindhoven and continued his master’s degree at TU Delft, where he specialized in computational design and robotic construction processes. After graduating, he worked as a researcher at the Robotic Building Lab. Together with Pierre Oskam, he developed Urban Reef, an innovative company focused on redesigning urban spaces using 3D printing technologies and computational design strategies. Latour’s work particularly uses interpretations of natural morphogenetic processes as computational design tools.

16:35 – 17:05

Maartje Dros, Studio Klarenbeek en Dros
BioMaterialen & Circulaire Productieketens (NL)

Maartje Dros (Texel, 1980) and Eric Klarenbeek (Amsterdam 1978) graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven. The duo has worked since 2005 on designs ranging from sustainable material development and products into furnishings for customers such as IDFA (NL), VITRA Design Museum (DU), Swarovski (CH), Atelier Luma Arles (FR), Droog Design, Moooi, Makkink Bey, Eneco, Ymere, Municipality of Zaanstad, Province of Utrecht and
Ministry DLG.

We look forward to seeing you there! Can’t make it? You can also buy a livecast ticket to view the lectures live from the comfort of home.

Follow the lectures online

*) Buy your livecast tickets online with a 50% discount. Ticket prices are excluding VAT.

• Online meekijken met alle lezingen
• Lezingen later kunnen terugkijken
• Digitale beurscatalogus (pdf)

A day full of inspiration

*) Buy your day tickets online with a 50% discount. Ticket at the door € 25. Ticket prices are excluding VAT.

• Entrance ticket voor 1 day
• Watch all lectures online
• Can review lectures later
• Digital exhibition catalogue (pdf)
• Printed exhibition catalogue worth € 10

If one day isn’t enough

*) Buy your passe-partout tickets online with 50% discount. Ticket at the door € 60. Ticket prices are excluding VAT.

• Entrance ticket voor 3 days
• Watch all lectures online
• Can review lectures later
• Digital exhibition catalogue (pdf)
• Printed exhibition catalogue worth € 10