15 October 2008

Full Cycle

Designer Ross Gardam is taking a life-cycle approach to design and turning heads in the process

Ross Gardam has received much acclaim since establishing his design company Spaceleft in 2005. A graduate of Industrial Design at Monash University, Gardam created the retail, interior and furniture company while living in the UK.

Since returning to Melbourne in 2007 the designer has been included in a number of exhibitions and won several awards including the Living Edge award in Launchpad 2008 and three awards at the recent 2008 Fringe Furniture Competition for Flat Jack and his new ‘Squash Me’ chair.

Gardam’s approach to design is one that considers the complete lifecycle of the product. “Understanding the "lifeline" of a product is important to me and this overlaps into all parts of the design process,” Gardam says.

His Flat Jack bookcase is made from recycled cardboard and is, itself, recyclable at end-of-life. The vertical supports are made from the centres of the horizontal shelves to minimize production waste.

“I quite like the idea of placing an everyday object in a different context and giving it a new function,” Gardam says.

Spaceleft aim to produce 3 new product pieces annually and the company have begun producing stop animation films to accompany their work ['Squash Me' film below].

“[Stop animation] allows for a guerrilla style of marketing and people’s exposure to the products is in a much more light hearted manner,” he says. “Squash Me is the cheekiest piece of furniture I have designed, it seems to engage with people in a playful manner which is great.”

spaceleft.com.au