Designer Gerardo Osio has woven the living branches of a weeping willow tree together to form a "living seat" along the Dommel river in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.
Osio developed the project, called Weeping Seat, as a student on the GEO-Design Master's course at Design Academy Eindhoven.
Weeping Seat is a swing woven into a willow tree
Weeping Seat explores ideas of how design can be improved and used in order to form a closer and more responsible relationship with nature.
Osio embarked on the project under the guidance of design duo Formafantasma and Lenneke Langenhuijsen, co-founder of Dutch studio Buro Belén.
"In the first trimester of the programme, we were asked to select a tree species native to the Netherlands," Osio told Dezeen. "We were asked to research it from different perspectives such as biology, ecology, culture, politics, economy and materiality, and any other aspect which is important to your chosen tree."
Living and harvested branches form the swing
The weeping willow tree, or Salix babylonica, is a species of willow tree that is commonly found across Asia and Europe.
Weeping Seat is a swing-like seat formed from the living branches of a white weeping willow tree, as well as harvested Belgium red willow twigs, which are commonly used in basket-making.
"By mixing both, the seat lets the living branches keep growing new leaves and develop more tissue while having enough strength to support a person," Osio told Dezeen....