Seat Shell, The Circular Seat By Marieke De Backer

Image courtesy Marieke De Backer

Marieke De Backer is an interior architect, graduated from Sint-Lucas in Ghent, Belgium, who decided to continue her studies into the world of furniture design (VOMO) at the Thomas More Hogeschool in Mechelen. A common theme in her work is a strong focus on sustainability: one example is her latest projects, SEAt SHELL – also included in the free Materials Design Map.

Ecology and sustainability in Marieke De Backer’s early projects

During her studies Marieke began to experiment with design and her first results are the BUDO bench and lounge chair and the CART shelf and coffee table. The first consists of a pair of seats with a reclaimed oak structure, to which Taekwondo sports belts are applied and fixed with a sliding buckle. The name BUDO derives from a secondary branch of the discipline, the same one from which the belts originate.

The CART collection consists of a shelf and a coffee table created by the designer out of necessity after experiencing a lot of traveling as a student. With a very simple and intuitive design, the structures are connected with a butterfly screw system, allowing easy assembly and disassembly of the piece. Leftover wood was used to create the coffee table.

Both projects underline the designer’s committment to concepts related to ecology and circularity: recycling and reuse of materials, simple assembly of parts, and flat-pack products that can be shipped easily and with a smaller footprint than a traditional piece of furniture.

The circular design of SEAt SHELL

SEAt SHELL is Marieke's final project from Thomas More Hogeschool. The design process focused on the search for a new circular material to be subsequently applied to a piece of furniture. The result is a beach chair made from discarded mussel and oyster shells collected from fish restaurant waste. The project challenges waste consumption habits and promotes sustainability.

The seat is fully compostable and entirely soluble in the sea. We asked Marieke if the furniture had been designed for sale, and she explained that the project began as a possible commercial product. However, during its development, it gradually evolved into a provocation in the form of an installation, although she admits “It would be nice to see SEAt SHELL soon on the Belgian coast and present it to everyone”.

Made for the summer season, the lines of the seat are inspired by the beach and the dunes and the material comes from the sea to… return to the sea. The effect of weather conditions, in fact, naturally decomposes SEAt SHELL without leaving any waste behind. A project with great potential which - rather than being sold to the final customer - could become part of a waste management project of the various coastal locations, not only in Belgium but throughout Europe. She is currently looking for funds to develop her installation on the coast of Belgium.

Marieke says: “As a recent graduate I’m still looking for my style… but perhaps a common trait in my projects is a focus on ecology and circularity”. 

To see all the designer’s projects, visit her website and follow her on Instagram!

SEAt SHELL, is part of the free Materials Design Map, send us your project too!