Art with Packaging Waste at Dubai Design Week 2023

Tee Vee Fff’s ‘Pulp Fractions’ ingeniously transformed discarded paper and cardboard into stackable, adaptable structures that harness wind and light, offering sustainable versatility and an inspiring narrative of innovation and aesthetics.

The Dubai-based design firm Tee Vee Eff takes it name from the founder Tarlan Vaziri Farahani’s initials. The firm’s creativity is exemplified in all their projects, minimalism and innovation adding to their appeal and now they have added sustainability in practice to their ideals.

We ask them about the story behind the creation of Pulp Fractions.

“Packaging makes up one third or more of our trash, and with increase of consumerism, particularly E-commerce in recent years, the amount of wasted cardboard delivery boxes and paper bags has quadrupled,” says Farahani.

Pulp Fractions installation, commissioned by Dubai Design Week 2023 and was showcased in Dubai Design District.

“It attempts to salvage discarded waste paper and boxes to be used for architectural purposes, specifically as a shading structure for the delivery drivers who seldom find shaded areas to rest in between jobs. The material can be processed into durable and lightweight materials when pressed and dried. The reclaimed paper will be made into a pulp and poured into a mould and pressed dry to form large modules. The units are designed to be stacked and organised in any configuration. The cutouts and hollow nature of the modules reduce their weight and promote wind circulation,” explains the designer.

But how did this idea come about?

“As architects, we come across a lot of waste material just from our projects, whether as a result of the production or during demolition. This concept has always caused us to feel conscious about the quantity of materials used, and their life-cycle, as well as their effect on the planet once discarded. Therefore, we felt the need to be resourceful and mindful about the materiality that forms built architecture,” says Farahani.

“The process of designing Pulp Fractions naturally led to the reduction of costs of the material procurement ( as the main material was made of recycle paper pulp), as well as reduced logistic costs and time as the modules are stackable and compact when disassembled. This in turn, makes the structure accessible to produce and build, as the technology is also simple and low cost.”

Though this is the first time the team has worked on this new material we are hoping this design inspiration will create opportunities and ideas for other architects to bring to fruition.

“We hope to continue the story and research of Pulp fractions alongside our professional interior design and architecture practice at Tee Vee Eff. Our goal is to make this structure as affordable, accessible, and versatile for any use and location as possible, as a shading structure during the day, and a lighting installation at night. Moreover, we want to promote playfulness and creativity, because the units can be stacked in infinite ways, and used as a bench, column, canopy, landscaping and as well as lighting, for indoors and outdoors.”

All Images Courtesy: Tee Vee Fff;Oculus Project