BioBlob, 2024. Table lamps, Cassava bioplastic + natural biotints (algae, yerba mate, eggshell). Photo credit: ENEI
Serretta Grumello
BioBlob luminaires are crafted using cassava (a staple in Latin American cuisine) as its main component, combined with other local food waste such as mate, eggshells, and algae. These natural ingredients infuse the lamps with a spectrum of distinctive tones, opacities and textures, resulting in a variety of finishes. By understanding the need for sustainable development in local communities, ENEI is currently working on a series of vernacular biomaterials derived from Latin America’s food industry waste. At the heart of this initiative lies our cassava-based biocomposite. With its light and translucent nature, it presents a wide range of applications, and can be as brittle or flexible as desired. The BioBlob lamps reduce the environmental footprint by repurposing domestic waste into new possibilities. Therefore, we believe that these luminaires do not just subtract weight, but add value; to our industry, to our culture, and to our collective future.
Nicolás Boscoboinik. Photo credit: ENEI
Agustín Bustamante. Photo credit: ENEI
Nicolás Boscoboinik and Agustín Bustamante established ENEI as a multidisciplinary architecture studio in December 2022. Based between Argentina, Spain, and Switzerland, the studio operates on a variety of scales including furniture design, installations, and material and digital research. With a strong design focus, they strive to produce architecture that positively transforms user experiences and adds value to the community. The practice is developed with the premise of innovating and experimenting through formal and material exploration. It intends to give as much importance to the built project as to the production methods and processes of all scales, collaborating throughout the different stages. More recently, the studio has been working alongside Copenhagen based Natural Material Studio in the aim to develop their American Assets project.