Nover
Category: Furniture
Competitions: Home Competition [Now Closed]
NOVER is an innovative biomaterial derived from waste streams in Callan, specifically: wool, wood chips and breadcrumbs. Designed with the intent to reinvigorate Keogh’s Model Bakery in Callan. This unique material is crafted from by-products within three major industries: farming, food, and craftsmanship. After months of experimentation, the NOVER material was created. Once the wool, wood chips and breadcrumbs are combined and baked, the properties are similar to composite boards however, has a higher natural content, especially thanks to the disuse of synthetic adhesives. It is light yet strong, highly resistant to compression, and its natural binder is the gluten within breadcrumbs, strengthened by wool fibers and wood chips that fuse when heated. To touch, it’s fibrous, hard and durable. Notably, no added pressure is needed to flatten or stabilize the height of the material when made into sheets. Fully cured, NOVER can be sanded, cut, and CNC machined, leaving its edges fluffy and soft, with a slight smell of vinegar and toast. This material could potentially serve as an alternative for insulation sheets, as suggested by architecture students at CSM and farmers throughout the UK. Once NOVER's structural properties were validated, I applied the material to meet the needs of the six-generation family-owned Keogh’s Model Bakery, which has been struggling to increase profits due to limited market reach. By using NOVER to create display stands, stools, and vessels, it promotes Keogh’s incredible Turnover Bread and improves customer accommodation. These innovations not only encourage existing customers to purchase more products but also attract new audiences, such as hotels and restaurants, to choose Keogh’s locally crafted vessels made from repurposed materials. The aim of this project is to add new value to Irish waste streams, demonstrating that materials like breadcrumbs, wood chips and coarse wool can be used in innovative forms beyond their traditional uses. NOVER is integrated into a circular, sustainable economy, creating new opportunities for rural towns in Ireland while prioritizing biodiversity and economic growth. This project showcases the potential of sustainable materials to transform local economies and support environmental objectives. See more here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTuUYiI9ABA).
