Residents of Solar Space

Residents of Solar Space explores how design can contribute to a healthier, more conscious approach to the sun. Too much sun is bad for our health, but a lack of sunlight is just as bad. In response, we turn to the pharmaceutical industry for sunscreen or dietary supplements that compensate for the lack of sunlight. In contrast, Residents of Solar Space focuses on alternative materials and objects that promote a healthy and sustainable life under the sun.

A sun sheet, with an integrated solar/sunbathing indicator, provides insight into vitamin D production and shows how long you can stay unprotected in the sun based on the UV index and your skin type. A UV-transparent jumper made from PLA will keep you warm, while providing adequate exposure to the sunlight you need.

The jury on Residents of Solar Space:

Residents of Solar Space takes a surprising approach to an urgent issue concerning sunlight, health and sustainability. The project links research to playful and interactive designs that invite awareness and care for people and the planet.

What does this award mean to you?

The award is important because it recognises the role of design in creating optimistic proposals based on interdisciplinary research, bringing together different perspectives and imagination. At the same time, the award gives me that extra push to keep exploring, questioning assumptions and developing alternative proposals that open up new perspectives.

How did the idea for this project come about?

Being a designer, I am fascinated by the dynamics between people and the environment. So I decided to scrutinise our relationship with the sun. I quickly understood that the discourse about the sun and health is highly polarised, in which the sun is often seen as exclusively good or bad. The aim of my project was to add nuance, to show that it is both, depending on factors like time, UV intensity, skin type and context. 

My focus on materials came naturally; my approach is based on a strong, material-driven design practice. I believe in the power of materials, being functional as well as discursive or narrative. They facilitate the experience of abstract ideas, and allow us to shape new relationships. New ways of being in, and relating to, the world.

What makes your project so special?

I think this is due to the way the project combines research, material exploration and storytelling. The objects are not only functional, but also discursive: they invite reflection, creating new ways of consciously exposing ourselves to, or protecting ourselves from, the sun. Because it is both practical and conceptually meaningful, I think it resonates with a wide audience.

How does it contribute to a better world?

The project contributes to a better world by presenting alternative materials and objects relating to a new awareness of the sun. Whereas current suncare is often curative, designs aim to be preventive. They open up new possibilities for a healthier and more sustainable life under the sun, with consideration for people and the environment.

Do you have any further plans for this project?

In the design research, I worked out other ideas on a conceptual level besides the sun sheet and the jumper. For example, I explored how human hair could serve as a sustainable alternative to UV-protective textiles. So the collection could certainly be expanded. 

Perhaps more importantly, the project provided me with a methodology that brought together in-depth research, material exploration and storytelling. I want to apply and explore this method further, curious about the dynamics between people, materials and context and how I can actively participate as a designer.