Crafting objects for a brighter tomorrow

With an innate obsession towards material innovation and a curiosity of exploring boundaries of design across disciplines through his fascinating products – London-based industrial designer Charles Birshaw creates a series of ‘Topographic Objects’ from ocean plastic. 

“The project stemmed from my current notion and thought process of seamlessly integrating materials that we particularly need to find a use for into lifestyle products.

As opposed to the traditional strategy of designing to use less of a substance we need to avoid entirely” says Birshaw. 

Reflecting stunning historic parts of the planet – this exploration led him to effortlessly craft one-of-a-kind topographic models.

Skillfully finding a way of adding value to resources that are undeniably damaging habitats across the globe – these unique pieces are made from recycled to conventionally unusable waste materials including ocean plastic. 

This line features a wide range from – a wall hung piece of Mount Fuji comprising a beautiful ocean plastic marble effect material fully exposed to a desk sculpture of Mount Everest and two large coffee tables of the same, utilizing compression molded ocean plastic for one and cast ground plastic mixture for the other. 

These eye-catching designs are brilliantly fabricated by – collecting waste plastic, separating out the colors and further melting this down to mold and create blocks of varying sizes. 

“Topographic maps of each of these famous land masses are then additionally either cut out of the block using a CNC milling machine or compression molded before being completed and cased in glass” Birshaw adds.