A studio for non-heroic materials

Studio Sarmīte is a materials design and research studio. Led by Latvian designer Sarmīte Poļakova, the studio work focuses on transforming industry waste and various by-products into new closed-loop concepts. Material and product lifecycles take a central role within the designer’s work resulting in unique concepts that emphasize circularity over plain longevity.

The studio’s design practice consists of hands-on experimental research with the manipulation of existing designing and production methods. This playful approach leads to surprising findings that also question our existing ways of producing, consuming and discarding.

Studio Sarmīte materials and processes are used in their own bespoke works as well as client work constantly exploring the relation between material, art, science and design. Previous clients include Adidas, Universal Design Studio, Hirsch, Vitra, Levi’s, and further.

Our Services

Material Concept Development

We identify new material and concept opportunities within existing systems, biological or technical. We then design new interactions, material lifecycles and ecosystems.

Product Design

We believe designing together with the material rather than forcing it to become something that it is not. We develop prototypes while putting focus on recyclability and generational design.

Consulting

We collaborate with a wide range of clients to help them develop new forms of  producing, consuming and discarding. We also support architects, designers and producers to integrate our materials in mesmerising designs.

Participations

  • • 2023 “Icons Re/outfitted”, NL / Curated by The Visionary Lab

    • 2023 “May Contain Traces of Forest”, IT / Curated by Elisabetta Donati de Conti, Giorgio Vacchiano

    • 2022 “Rethinking Plastic”, NL / Curated by Leonne Cuppen

    • 2022 “Our Time on Earth” UK / Curated by Caroline Till and Kate Franklin

    • 2020 - ongoing “Plant Fever” Curated by Studio D-O-T-S / Currently in Dortmund, DE

    • 2021 Design By Nature, NL / Curated by Biobased Creations

    • 2020-2021 Critical Zones , DE / Curated by Bruno Latour, P. Weibel, M.Guinard and B.Korintenberg

    • 2020 “Transforming the Future”, Haarlem, NL/ Curated by Leonne Cuppen

    • 2019 “Material Connections”, London Design Week, UK / Curated by Abbie Adams

    • 2019 Milan Design Week, IT / A collective exhibition by Form&Seek

    • 2018 "Earth Matters", Tillburg, NL / Curated by Lidewij Edelkoort & Philip Fimmano

    • 2017 "Maison & Objet" Paris FR / Curated by Jean-Louis Serrato

    • 2016 “Touch Base”, Milan Design Week, IT / Curated by Ilse Crawford

  • • 2023 Talk at “Salons, Episode 4” / Galeria Smilga, Riga LV

    • 2023 Talk at DDW, Future Materials Bank podcast / Eindhoven NL

    • 2023 Talk at Munich Fabric Start “Can Colour make waste more attractive?” in tandem with Roua Atelier / Munich DE

    • 2023 Talk at Material District, Utrecht “Can Colour make waste more attractive?” in tandem with Roua Atelier / Utrecht NL

  • • 2023 Through Objects Online course on biotextiles

    • 2022 – current Guest Lecturer at Art Academy of Latvia, Product Design department / Riga LV

    • 2023 Material Expert at TUM Munich, Professorship of Architecture and Design / Munich DE

    • 2022 - 2023 “Future of Life” summerschool for Bio Design Lab / Karlsruhe DE

    • 2021 “Poetry By Dust” Workshop at HfG Karlsruhe / Karlsruhe DE

    • 2019 “What A Fine Pine” workshop during London Design Festival during “Material Connections” exhibition / London UK

  • • Material District

    • Material Driven

    • MateriO France

    • MateriO Prague

    • Future Material Bank

    • Material Source

    • Biomaterial Library

    • Surface Matter

    • Materiom

    • Material Designers Elisava