Sawdust Space Divider

The Sawdust Space Divider combines a solid cherry frame with panels made with a sawdust and agar agar bio-composite. The system is modular and disassemblable: the panels hang from the frame with wire and can be placed in any position in the frame and the frame disassembles into 12 pieces. The panels were made using sawdust from the Concordia CTC Wood Shop, and agar agar, then formed, baked and laser cut into their final forms. The cut out patterns originate from cross sections of ambrosia maple. Ambrosia beetles are nature’s wood workers - they manipulate wood by tunneling through it and using it for their shelter. The Sawdust Space Divider unites solid wood and its waste product, sawdust, into one object where the two materials complement the other’s materiality and functionality.