Charles Birshaw is slowly becoming known for his impressive designs. He has a knack for coming up with new creations transformed from waste into desirable art. They don’t just appear as art but also with unique functions.

The last pair we featured was the modular mule that can be transformed into a clog. Again, the Modular Mule explores the boundaries of design. This time around, the designer introduces two new products: a coffee table and a 3D art decor.

Designer: Charles Birshaw

The Topographic Coffee Table is made of ocean plastic. It is another product of material innovation and the designer’s desire to explore boundaries of design. The latest collection from Birshaw is the ‘Topopgraphics Objects’ series made from ocean plastic.

The London-based industrial designer aims to make lifestyle products that are more environment-friendly. Birshaw said, “The project stemmed from my current notion and thought process of seamlessly integrating materials that we particularly need to find a use for into lifestyle products. As opposed to the traditional design strategy to use less of a substance we need to avoid entirely.”

For the Topographic Coffee Table, the designer used Topographic maps as inspiration and basis for his art. Topographic models have been made to serve as a base for a table. It’s like having a diorama of a mountain or a place and having them displayed in the living room.

Another 3D model is also available, but it’s more of a wall-hung piece of the famous Mount Fuji. This one is also made of ocean plastic but now with a marble effect. The coffee table also has a similar effect, but you can’t really appreciate it up close.

Two versions of the coffee tables are imagined and made. One table uses compression molded ocean plastic while the other takes advantage of the cast-ground plastic mixture. These products result from waste plastic separated according to colors and then melted to mold and create blocks. The blocks are then used to make the topographic models using a CNC milling machine. The final product is then enclosed or covered in glass.

The designer Charles Birshaw continues to experiment with this topographic 3D art. The Mount Fuji wall hung shows us how recycled ocean plastic can be transformed into something beautiful. The 3D art wall art and coffee table can be considered functional sculptures because of their form and function. One serves as a beautiful and one-of-a-kind decor. The table is a furniture piece that supports your other stuff at home and is usually placed in the middle of a living room.