invasive morning glory plants are trained to wind & bloom for a climate-adaptive chair design

franklin st. studio harvests and weaves morning glory 

 

Finding new use for invasive plants that engulf infrastructure and ecosystems across Canada, Franklin St. Studio harvests the ruthless alien plant morning glory to present a climate-adaptive chair design. The Good Morning Glory project explores how design can be used as a tool for invasive species management by taking advantage of the plant’s adaptive properties and playing an active role in their life cycles.

 

The Vancouver-based furniture and material design studio proposes that by fostering a relationship with the plant through its use, we can become an active participant in its responsible disuse. ‘Particularly in places like Vancouver where no management plan currently exists, we stand to make a greater impact through localized interventions that, at the same time, use Morning Glory’s competitive advantage to our advantage,’ notes the design team.

all images courtesy the author

 

 

integrating furniture design & invasive species management

 

With this project, Franklin St. Studio harvested morning glory roots from their surrounding property in early spring and relocated them using soil from the site. Throughout the hot and dry summer, little to no watering was needed. To begin with, the designers used simple winding and tying techniques, training the vines to follow a grid-like woven pattern to form the chair’s main seat and back support. During the mid-season, thick lateral shoots appeared quickly, beginning to winding through and engulf the span of the metal chair frame.

 

The morning glory flowers open with the sun, and only last for one day. While they provide pollen for bees, the leaves are a source of food for the larvae of convolvulus hawk moths. Further, seed pods were prevented from forming during the course of the project, and once complete the roots were dug up and placed in the garbage to be destroyed.

the morning glory chair after all vines have been trimmed and tied in place, in late September

a simple woven grid seat and chair back made using the morning glory above-ground growth

in all its glory at the apex of its growing season

the vines grow quickly, winding opposite to the course of the sun

 

 

the flowers provide pollen for bees and the leaves are a source of food for the larvae of convolvulus hawk moths

the vines are wound around the frame and tied in place

 

 

project info:

 

name: Good Morning Glory
designer: Franklin St. Studio

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: ravail khan | designboom