SMULD: A collaborative material study by Natural Material Studio, Office Kim Lenschow, and Dinesen
SMULD is an ongoing architectural and material study developed by designer Bonnie Hvillum of Natural Material Studio and architectural studio Office Kim Lenschow, in close collaboration with Dinesen.
The first encounter with the studies behind SMULD took place in 2023 at Copenhagen Contemporary, an international art centre in Copenhagen. Natural Material Studio and Office, Kim Lenschow, participated in the Reset Materials – Towards Sustainable Architecture exhibition, which showcased large experimental works at the intersection of art and architecture, exploring sustainable building materials of the future.
From there, SMULD developed into an exhibition series debuting at the Dinesen Showroom in Copenhagen. SMULD investigates how we might design and construct differently by utilising natural, biodegradable composites made from wood—including often-overlooked by-products such as sawdust, shavings, and wood dust.
Each exhibition iteration invites visitors into a sensory and spatial experience that showcases the ongoing research behind four distinct material studies. Together, these studies present a forward-looking view of Dinesen’s founding vision of utilising the entire tree trunk as a resource and a design philosophy.
“If we are to believe that wood can serve as a pathway towards a more sustainable solution, we must carefully utilise the entire tree trunk, from planks and offcuts to shavings, sawdust, and dust. We also need to ensure that the materials we develop and use are recyclable. One way to achieve this is by guaranteeing that the material binder can dissolve without using chemicals. We have accomplished this by relying solely on the inherent binders present in the wood.”
— Bonnie Hvillum & Kim Lenschow
At the core of SMULD are four material studies—guiding visitors through a landscape of alternative wood-based composites.
Flexible: A tactile exploration using finely sifted wood plaster and planer shavings bound in natural latex. The result is a soft, flexible surface that imagines wood as a textile, opening new possibilities for form and movement.
Insulation: This study layers fine sawdust and cellulose onto wood fibre insulation to propose a new approach to building envelopes that considers function, tactility, and environmental responsibility equally.
Translucent: Sheets of semi-transparent wood composite, cast from sifted wood plaster and shavings, allow light to pass through, evoking the delicacy of traditional Japanese shoji while reimagining how wood can shape light and atmosphere.
Structural: Developed with the Danish Technological Institute, this panel uses a lignin-based binder to create a structural wood fibre composite. A first step toward a natural material strong enough for architecture, with a refined, expressive surface.
As SMULD continues to unfold in new contexts, the installation evolves with it as a physical exhibition and an open-ended investigation into what building with nature can mean today.
Follow the SMULD exhibition in Oslo for Designers’ Saturday, 12-14 September 2025, and join the conversation about the future of materials, design, and architecture.