Woven water-hyacinth daybed
According to the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants, water hyacinth is one of the most invasive plants. Water hyacinth was introduced to Florida from South America in the 1880s and has grown profusely since, covering up to 125,000 acres of water. Water hyacinth populations can double in twelve days, and infestations crowd out native plants, reduce fisheries, and weaken biological diversity.
In order to protect local habitats, water-hyacinth plants are cut down. Designer Bannavis Sribyatta collects the waste material from these menacing plants and give them a new life in the form of the Tonecoon daybed. Inspired by the flower petals of Tonecoon trees grown in Thailand and several other parts of Asia, the daybed is constructed of woven water-hyacinth fiber wrapped around a rattan frame. It is completely handcrafted using nonpolluting, low-energy processes, and the rattan comes from rapidly renewable sources.
Contact: Project Import Export, Miramar, FL, USA.
For more information, see Transmaterial 2: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine our Physical Environment
