This resource aims for more than merely dwelling on romantic history and virtuosity in manipulating materials. Cultural tradition relies on the passing on of knowledge and skills. There is much we can take on board from traditional design and crafts: our present society is far from being sustainable with its poor waste management, its reliance on fossil fuels and mineral resources, its social inequality and unjust wars for economic reasons. Contemporary designers, industry and politicians can learn a lot from traditional crafts and their intrinsic stewardship for the environment, their economic sustainability and the part they play in social integration and equity. In the remote areas of the western seaboard of Europe, these factors were necessities to ensure the survival of whole communities for millennia. Based on these solid foundations, traditional crafts can play a leading role in the development of a new paradigm for Design for Sustainability.

This on-line resource marks the end of a two-year collaborative research project between the Eden Project and Falmouth College of Arts (FCA) into the use of plant material in contemporary Design for Sustainability. It focused on native plant materials on the western seaboard of Europe together with their traditional use in crafts. The research explored their potential for contemporary applications through making, theory as well as through projects with students of FCA’s design courses. The findings are presented in this website.