Now this is “green” lighting: Birch and Willow, a small firm in Boston, uses weaves of wood and vines to create very organic (both literal and aesthetic) fixtures.  The resulting designs create delightful plays of sparkle, shadow and pattern.

Strangely, the “look” of the fixtures are really dependent on the surroundings.  They could easily swing über chic in some haute-couture setting, or go completely opposite in a folksy-country-craft setting.

Why can’t the rest of the lighting industry look to use more natural, organic materials, especially materials with low embodied energy content?

There are very few examples of modern fixtures that use bio-mass materials.  One that could easily complement the Birch and Willow fixtures in a project is the Zumtobel Evio series.

Evio’s housing is available in certified beechwood, walnut, or “Eternit,” a synthetic recycled paper and concrete fiber material.  Certainly not the end-all be-all of sustainable design, but certainly a step in the right direction for commercial products.

images from Birch and Willow and Zumtobel