Yggdrasil.
Research project, part of Yourban in collaboration with Fab Lab Barcelona.
Yggdrasil is a collection of urban furniture that reimagines the city through integrated greenery, sustainable material innovation, and expressive use of colour, texture, and ornament. It shifts public space from purely functional objects toward environments that support ecology, sensory richness, and social use.
At its core is a modular planter system that introduces vegetation and enables trees and ecosystems in constrained urban areas. Around it, seating and plant-support structures provide shade and shelter, replacing conventional poles and canopies. Vegetation is central, shaping both function and form.
The project explores recycled fibre reinforced polymer as both a sustainable alternative to materials like metal or concrete and as an expressive medium with depth and texture. Curves, reliefs, and varied finishes create a new design language that departs from rigid urban furniture.
Inspired by Barcelona’s esgrafiats, the design translates layered patterns of colour and geometry into a contemporary material language where surface, form, and pattern merge.
Presented as a prototype, Yggdrasil proposes a more ecological, sensory, and materially innovative vision of urban furniture and public space.
The design of the collection, the material experimentation, and the development of the prototypes were carried out during a six-month residency program at Fab Lab Barcelona. Within this context, NMASA Design, together with a group of designers and researchers, explored new applications of Recycled Fiber Reinforced Polymers (rFRP) in urban environments, focusing on both material innovation and manufacturing processes.
A key aspect of the project was the investigation of how this advanced composite material could be adapted for urban use cases, while maintaining performance, durability, and circularity. The work combined hands-on prototyping with research into scalable fabrication methods, aiming to bridge the gap between experimental material development and real-world application in public space.
It is important to highlight that YOURBAN is the consortium responsible for enabling the recyclability of this material. Previously, fiber reinforced polymers were not considered recyclable, which posed a significant environmental challenge. YOURBAN’s research and development efforts address this limitation by creating systems that allow for the recovery and reuse of these composite materials, contributing directly to circular economy strategies.
Commercial finish, the one for industrial production.
A subtle, production ready finish defined by the contrast between a matte, uniform surface and a polished surface that reveals its fibers.
Experimental finish.
A more radical contrast between a polished surface with visible fibers and a rough, almost carved, stone-like texture.
