Flos for Planet
Almendra
Designed by Patricia Urquiola
The inspiration for Almendra can immediately be seen in its silhouette, a perfect combination of geometric rigour and curves drawn from the world of plants.
Its connection with nature, however, is not strictly formal. On the contrary, it underlies a careful design aimed at minimizing environmental impact.
Both the opaque and transparent faces of the petals are made of a special polycarbonate deriving in part from a by-product of paper production rather than from petroleum.
This sustainable plastic material is based on renewable natural resources, but does not unnecessarily consume land and water as a result of dedicated cultivation.
To better understand this concept, it is important to know that the process of extracting cellulose from wood to produce paper also leads to a special viscous liquid called tallolja in Swedish and tall oil in English. With new technologies, this oil, which is usually used to produce ink, can now be used to produce a polycarbonate with the same characteristics as traditional polycarbonate.
Because of this, Almendra complies with the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) protocol under the European Community’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED). This is obtained by demonstrating the sustainability of products created from biomass as a way of replacing plastics from fossil fuels.
This is possible because even though you do not see a single screw, Almendra can be completely dismantled. This aspect carries several advantages. First, it makes replacement of the LEDs using Flos’s after-sales service very easy in the event of any malfunctions. Second, each part can be recycled properly depending on the material. To facilitate the correct disposal, markings with the recycling class are engraved on the aluminium body and polycarbonate petals.
I like to think that just by looking at it, you can perceive all the care and passion that the design team — from Patricia Urquiola to the R&D department — has devoted to every detail of Almendra, even far beyond its appearance.
