If you were lucky to take part in the 9th World Bamboo Congress in Belgium about 8 weeks ago, hopefully you were also lucky enough to meet Rebecca Reubens.
Rebecca presented the creative work of her design firm Rhizome, located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India). Her team believes that renewable materials crafted into contemporary designs are the route into holistically sustainable products.
Energetic and passionate, Rebecca recently completed a new book focusing on the links between design, craft and sustainability. The book highlights bamboo’s versatile applications and their impact on ecological, economic, social and cultural sustainability. Boldly Rebecca outlines a “Sustainability Checklist” to empower designers to guide and evaluate their designs, and move from not just green, but sustainable.
Impressive enough, this genuinely driven young woman is also persuing her PhD at the Design for Sustainability program at the University of Delft in the Netherlands, as she focuses on the links between sustainability, design and development, through BAMBOO. After studying at the National Institute of Design as an industrial designer, she has worked in the development sector throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.
Obviously Rebecca is on a great quest, and her interest in bamboo provides an amazing opportunity to explore the potentials of bamboo in our contemporary world. Christiians, Diehl and Brezet, professors at the University of Delft say this about her book : “Not only does it include the three traditional sustainability ‘pillars’, it also integrates the cultural dimension, which is very significant in the context of bamboo, craftsmen and rural communities. “
Bravo, Rebecca! Keep bamboo strong!
You can reach Rebecca via Facebook or LinkedIn, or via rreubens@gmail.com
To order the book, one needs to get in touch with the publisher Bibliophile South Asia at ashok@ashokbutani.com or Rebecca herself at rreubens@gmail.com. The book is available in both paperback and hardbound.
