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Moss table

Peralta generated the original concept of the Moss Table whilst engaged in an EPSRC-funded interdisciplinary Design in Science research collaboration between the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Manufacturing and others. He designed it, oversaw the integration of new technologies into a household objet (a table with an integrated household lamp) and its manufacture.

The Moss Table is a conceptual design that demonstrates the potential applications of biophotovoltaic (BPV) technology for the future. In their comparative infancy, BPV devices generate renewable energy from the photosynthesis of living organisms such as algae and moss. The Moss Table suggests a future in which natural/artificial objects are utilised in the home, in this case a table incorporating moss with the capacity to produce enough electricity to power a small lamp. Peralta wrote that the project incorporated ways in which ‘small devices could be powered by houseplants or backyard gardens, while larger arrays of plants might hold promise as a new renewable source of energy, especially in remote or impoverished communities.’

The Moss Table exerted a significant impact on the design community and general public alike, engendering publications, exhibitions and prizes nationally and internationally. It was shown at the Designersblock exhibition at the London Design Festival (2011), at the SaloneSatellite at the Milan Furniture Fair (2012) and was included (on film) in a British Council worldwide touring exhibition devoted to sustainability. It has received several design awards, ranging from ‘People’s Choice’ at the Design Council-organised ‘Design Icons’ exhibition in Cambridge (2012) to the Lápiz de Acero design concept prize in Colombia (2012), and featured widely in the British media and online journals, as well as ‘Blueprint’. More recently it featured in William Myers’ book Bio Design: Nature + Science + Creativity (2013).

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