CoCo Ree's Aggregate Collection: A Brilliant Fusion of Art, Design, and Sustainability

Transforming Modern Waste into Strikingly Unique Lamps

The Aggregate Collection was born out of the challenge to see if a design could transform modern waste. The designer's inspiration came from quick figurative gesture sketches, where a model used a rod as a prop, bending and holding it outstretched between poses. These sketches became the essence of the design, a design that used materials motivated by human contortion.

Each lamp in the collection uses a welded skeleton made from discarded steel scraps. The body is then sculpted with a custom mix of concrete and recycled plastic. This unique combination of materials revisits structure and texture, transforming modern waste into a work of art. The lamps attempt to elevate discarded materials, combining them with filtered LED bulbs to create brilliantly bright light.

The realization of the design involved experimenting with Portland Cement, water, cement, gravel, and various additives such as sugar, salt, shredded cardboard, shredded plastic bottles, and fiber glass. Ultimately, the designer found that using shredded plastic bottles with an ECC concrete and well-graded silica sands on top of a thin alkali-resistant fiber base produced the most unique results.

The Aggregate Collection consists of three unique silhouettes: The Walk, Holding On, and Broken. Each piece strategically uses height and the angle of the LED tube bulbs to evenly diffuse refracted light into any large space. The resulting design is organic yet commanding, providing the bold emission of light from each distinct form.

The project started in Hong Kong in November of 2018 and was finished and shown at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA for three months in 2019. The design process involved researching the effects of the growth of urban and industrial areas and exploring ways to use concrete as a clay, rather than casting the material. The concrete was mixed with shaved plastic bottles and sculpted, creating a unique and sustainable design.

CoCo Ree's Aggregate Collection is a shining example of how design can transform modern waste into something beautiful and functional. It is a testament to the power of innovation, sustainability, and design, and a reminder of the potential that lies in the materials we often discard. This collection is not just a series of floor lamps, but a statement on the power of design and the potential for a more sustainable future.