B one

Looking at the ways that different cultures treat their human remains we find an abundance of vessels designed to contain whatever may be left of our loved ones. These containers by their very nature constrain the access to the deceased, acting as symbols of grief rather than integrating into our everyday realities.

This is where emerging technologies enable us to reimagine the way we deal with human remains. A recent project at the University of Seattle, WA has shown the potential for using 3D printing technology to create any shape imaginable from pulverized bone material. Our concept proposes to repurpose the bone matter of a deceased person, typically between 5 and 10 kilograms after dehydration, to create an entity that acts both as an object of rememberance and utility. 

We call it »b one«, the first chair 3D-printed from bone.

A discreet dedication on the backrest credits the material supplier for generations to come. Should one against all odds want to discard of »B1«, it should be noted that bone as well as the deployed resin are ecologically friendly and one hundred percent compostable.

As the amount of bone material will vary, an elaborate software algorithm will determine the material distribution on a case-by-case basis. This results in every chair having a unique inner skeleton and overall weight while maintaining the same outer shell.