Dezeen School Shows: a modular panelling system created with cork is among the projects from Istituto Europeo di Design.

Also featured is a bottle designed for water access in extreme weather conditions, and sustainable children's toys made from cardboard pulp.

Istituto Europeo di Design

Institution: IED Istituto Europeo di Design
School: Design School
Course: BA in Product Design
Tutors: Federica Bosoni and Giovanni Baffetti (IED Milano), Raffaella Perrone and Berta Julià (IED Barcelona), Alice Mela, Marco Cassino (IED Torino), Marika Aakesson (IED Roma), Beatriz Amann, Maika Carné (IED Madrid), Lucas Abajo (IED Kunsthal Bilbao), Javier Deferrari and Lavinia Modesti (IED Firenze)

School statement:

"At Istituto Europeo di Design, product design students explore the discipline from multiple perspectives, adapting tools and methodologies to the needs of users and different contexts.

"In all IED seats around Italy, Spain and Brazil, students learn to balance creativity, functionality and environmental responsibility with a critical perspective.

"Sustainability and a circular approach are at the core of any design project, not only in the selection of materials but throughout the entire product life cycle. Technological advancements and the evolution of services have transformed the way we conceive and produce the objects around us.

"This shift makes it essential to adopt a design approach that integrates innovation, ethics and sustainability from a wider vision relating with humans, new intelligences and technologies and other species.

"In particular, the selection of projects reflects on the intricate relationship between territory, communities and nature.

"To understand the identity and needs of a territory means listening carefully to those who inhabit it and acknowledging the cultural and ecological heritage that shapes it."

Corteza Abierta by Markel Martin

"Corteza Abierta (Open Bark) is conceived as a sonic tool for the cultural emancipation of rural environments. The project proposes a new kind of cultural infrastructure for the countryside, built not on transactions but on collaboration and co-creation.

"The loudspeaker – both literal and metaphorical – becomes a tool of connections, establishing dialogues that spark cultural processes in rural contexts.

"Using firewood as its main material, it draws a simple but powerful image: splitting a log to release hidden sounds, then amplifying them so that what was once a whisper becomes a call to the sky.

"The outcome is a device that rises as a living cultural laboratory. A tower amplifying the conversations necessary for culture to grow, an acoustic totem that lifts the resonant sound of rural life above wheat and weeds."

Student: Markel Martin
Course: BA in Interior and Forniture Design, IED Madrid

Foremyc by Francesco Cantoni, Bortolomeo Chinali, Federico Gabrieli and Iari Vanoschi

"As storms, droughts and heatwaves intensify, Alpine forests reveal their fragility as some of Europe's most vulnerable ecosystems.

"Foremyc provides permanent sensors and a digital dashboard to capture and translate forest signals into accessible data.

"Co-designed with forest technicians and scientists, it reduces manual surveys and creates continuous records, helping manage today's challenges while planning resilient forests for tomorrow."

Students: Francesco Cantoni, Bortolomeo Chinali, Federico Gabrieli and Iari Vanoschi
Course: BA in Product Design, IED Milano

Lilipur by Dafne Argondizza, Matteo Bernasconi, Camilla Piantanida and Riccardo H Zambelli

"Lilipur is a floathing phytodepuration platforms for resilient waters. The project was born in response to eutrophication, which revealed the vulnerability of local waters.

"Rooted in care for our territory, the floating phytodepuration platforms combine three key elements for purification: plants, zeolites and bacteria that absorb excess nutrients and restore oxygen.

"The interconnected sensors feed a digital dashboard, creating a living network that acts as a digital twin and ensures long-term resilience."

Students: Dafne Argondizza, Matteo Bernasconi, Camilla Piantanida and Riccardo H Zambelli
Course: BA in Product Design, IED Milano

Sacred Mountain by Maria Mur

"Sacred Mountain explores the intersection of nature, culture and tradition in the formation of human identities. It focuses on how beliefs and natural environments interact through relational networks of organisms, microbiomes and cultural contexts.

"Taking Montserrat as a case study, a multi-peaked mountain range near Barcelona, it investigates how biological and cultural elements intertwine to create collective identities.

"The project combines scientific research on the local microbiome with the study of liturgy, aiming to translate this fusion into a visual system that represents the union of nature and culture.

"The outcome unfolds as an exploration through craft, evoking the ancient creative processes of the Montserrat monastery. This includes a collection of five liturgical objects, a publication that narrates the search for the Virgin and for identity, a box containing twelve images, an embroidered stole and a series of five screen-printed posters."

Student: Maria Mur
Course: BA in Graphic Design, IED Kunshtal Bilbao

The Beetle Bottle by Abdelaziz Moustafa

"The Beetle Bottle is a compact, modular bottle designed to provide reliable access to water in extreme desert conditions, particularly in Egypt, where high nighttime humidity allows for passive dew collection.

"Its mechanism is inspired by the Namibian desert beetle, an insect known for its ability to extract moisture from the air and survive in arid environments.

"Key technical features include a custom, snap-lock thread for a tight seal, a mouth valve for inflation and an integrated compartment for the pegs used to secure the system to the sand."

Student: Abdelaziz Moustafa
Course: BA in Product Design, IED Barcelona

Karta by Giovanni Mazzeo

"Karta is an innovative project that engages children in creating eco-friendly toys. The product was developed for Casa Oz, a reality based in Turin that offers a home for children and young people who are ill, disabled or vulnerable and for their families.

"Made from natural materials like cardboard pulp, seeds and plant-based glue, these unique toys can be planted in garden, where users can transform them into living plants.

"This approach not only fosters children's creativity but also promotes environmental education, teaching the importance of recycling and respect for nature."

Student: Giovanni Mazzeo
Course: BA in Product Design, IED Torino

X-plorer by Aaron Gonzalo Guiterrez

"X-plorer is a portable device that identifies and documents species in natural environments, connecting biodiversity and the user.

"Its development was based on recording the fauna and flora without creating a sensory disruption with the environment.

"The project is contextualised in the Basque Country and pays special attention to its biodiversity, network of natural parks, institutions and resources.

"The device has an offline artificial intelligence system that identifies species through the resources captured by the interchangeable modular camera, which can also function as an autonomous camera trap system.

"These observations are sent to a database to be analysed and compared. Designed with an interest in the environment, the device is based on an experience focused on digital containment, with electronic ink screens, physical buttons and a non-invasive interaction language."

Student: Aaron Gonzalo Guiterrez
Course: BA in Product Design, IED Kunsthal Bilbao

Parachute Pouf by Thomas Rojahn

"The Parachute Pouf is a modular furniture piece inspired by the tension of a parachute while flying.

"Combining references to military equipment and vintage parachutes, it features a removable padded cover, secured by a zipper and elastic band, that mimics the softness and lightness of fabric catching the wind.

"A belt, echoing parachute straps, cinches the form to highlight tension and versatility. Available in two sizes, it can be used alone or grouped, creating compositions reminiscent of hot-air balloons.

"Made in twill cotton mix or nylon ripstop, its floating effect is enhanced by recessed stainless steel legs."

Student: Thomas Rojahn
Course: BA in Interior and Furniture Design, IED Firenze

Pedraware by Second-year interior design students

"Pedraware is a small collection of stone tableware items made with Sardinian materials, including cutting boards, towel holders and centrepieces.

"IED Cagliari's students collaborated with Barbara Atzeri's Roccas Design and created their prototypes using biancone, a limestone rock often used as a building material or for the creation of monuments and works of art.

"The project was coordinated by designer and teacher Annalisa Cocco."

Students: Second-year interior design students
Course: BA in Interior Design, IED Cagliari

Caliu by Judith Aubà

"Caliu is a modular interior paneling system that brings warmth, atmosphere and emotional presence into the home. Named after the Catalan word for 'warmth', it explores how design can soften hard interiors without intrusive renovation.

"The system uses raw cork panels for their natural texture and thermal-acoustic properties, joined by a visible wooden structure that creates a clean, intentional rhythm.

"Simple to install and remove, Caliu allows flexible placement across chosen zones, adapting to the user's habits and routines. More than decoration, Caliu is a functional, emotional tool that redefines how we relate to our surroundings.

"It invites a quieter way of living – one shaped by texture, presence and care."

Student: Judith Aubà
Course: BA in Product Design, IED Barcelona

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and Istituto Europeo di Design. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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