Beleaf

Celestine Briët is a product designer whose work builds on the concept of circular economies and sustainable initiatives. She sees unconventional, usually ignored raw materials and naturally occurring materials as blank canvases with a multiplicity of potential uses. For example, though wood is a universal material, the autumn leaves of trees are considered to be waste products or, at best, compost.

BeLeaf is a naturally lightweight and biodegradable material made from leaves and natural binders. Briët designed a birdhouse to showcase the properties of BeLeaf as a viable construction material. When hung in a tree, the birdhouse blends in with its environment while providing shelter for wildlife; after about a year, it degrades, falls to the ground and is reabsorbed into the natural cycle.