NERÓ
Design
RECYCLED PLASTIC & METAL + TEMPERATURE = NEW MATERIALS | NEW LIFE From Ancient Greek nērós meaning “wet, damp”, from nearós meaning “young, fresh”, from the term nearón húdōr meaning “fresh water”, and finally from skliró neró meaning “hard water” – water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals – the NERÓ collection represents infinite shapes of water. Water is the basis of life and is part of almost everything. It takes different forms and shapes. In this submission, phenomena of water is our main inspiration in discovering and creating new architectural materials and design objects by chemical synthesis. We aim to explore how recycled plastics, aluminum, and steel can be transformed into materials that can be employed in creating new objects and architectural elements. The idea is to create new life from recycled plastic and metal. In this submission, the furniture and/or architectural objects are made out of recycled shredded aluminum and steel scrap, clear PET plastics which are for example used in plastic bottles, and opaque HDPE plastics which are used to create objects with varying degrees of surface transparency. The process of creating architectural objects starts with melting down the metal scraps and partially filling the casting mold. After the metal solidifies, the form is filled with molten plastic to complete the mixed-material object. Next, the metal is treated with a caustic agent, such as lye, to create a wavy patterned surface representing water and its flow and also to create a stone effect. Finally, the surface is polished. A new design object, that represents water and a new life, is created from recycled material. The bench and the table objects, as well as the door, have a thin black metal frame made out of recycled steel. Steel/2500°F(1370°) : 3/3 Aluminum/1220°F(660°C) : PET/500°F(260°C) : HDPE/248°F(120°C)