earth kitchen by yuiko shigeta at the eindhoven design academy graduation show

for her graduation project at the eindhoven design academy, student yuiko shigeta reexamines our contemporary views on storing, cooking and eating food. ‘by reconnecting to the original ways of our ancestors we can become more aware of the material, effort and time involved,’ explains the designer. ‘this can help us to create a more human way of life, for us as well as future generations’.

showcased during dutch design week 2017, shigeta’s design academy graduation project uses traditional material as her guide for a conceptual exploration. as a result of her inquiry, shigeta’a findings lead to her creation of the earth refrigerator — a natural cooler without the need for electricity, and at the end of its lifetime, can be returned back to the earth. 

it is created using a hydraulic compressing machine designed by oskam, compacting the earth by 50% to produce building blocks. these types of machines are generally used in developing countries in an effort to create sustainable housing solutions.