1m² / 1 second
1 m² / 1 second is a sculptural series by DON NADIE that translates the deforestation of Ecuador’s tropical forests into a physical and measurable experience. It takes the accelerated loss of natural forest as its point of departure and transforms it into a unit of time and material presence, condensed into a system of sculptural objects.
The installation brings together approximately 16 pieces arranged on a table-base, occupying one cubic meter as a silent constellation. Each element, reaching nearly one meter in height, combines a 3D-printed root-like base with an upper body made of structural folded paper. Rather than representing specific trees, the works operate as a metaphor for accumulation, repetition, and loss measured over time.
The project turns an abstract statistic into a tangible experience that compels viewers to pause and confront the real scale of the issue. The tension between near-industrial precision and manual execution introduces a temporal dimension: each piece embodies the time required to produce it, set against the speed at which forests disappear.
Within the context of Milano Design Week, the work positions itself as a critical reflection from contemporary design on territory, extractivism, and sustainability, offering a perspective rooted in Ecuador while reclaiming craft, material, and time as tools for cultural positioning and critical inquiry.
Conceptual Framework
In Ecuador, tropical forest loss occurs at a pace that is difficult to comprehend. Measured in hectares per year, deforestation becomes a distant statistic. This project proposes a shift by translating that territorial scale into a unit of time and material presence. The title 1 m² / 1 second does not present an exact calculation, but a symbolic parameter linking quantity and time, surface and disappearance.
The series is conceived as a closed set of sculptural pieces designed for close viewing on a table. Each element operates as a minimal unit within a larger system, where repetition and accumulation generate meaning. Rather than representing a forest, the work makes its progressive loss perceptible through the reiteration of forms that occupy space, time, and attention.
The project moves within a deliberate tension between precision and variation—between industrial logic and the controlled imperfection of manual execution. This friction introduces a temporal dimension: the time required to construct each piece contrasted with the speed at which forests vanish.
The work does not aim to illustrate an environmental issue or propose solutions. Instead, it establishes a device for observation—an environment in which the viewer confronts the scale of the problem through proximity and concentration, positioning design as a critical tool capable of materializing complex ideas without literal representation.
Sculptural System — General Technical Sheet
Series title: 1 m² / 1 second
Author: DON NADIE Studio (Ecuador)
Year: 2026
Type of work: Sculptural system
Series: Closed series · Unique system
Number of elements: 16 units (Internal codes: A01–A16)
Installed system dimensions: 100 × 100 × 100 cm
Individual element dimensions: 22 × 22 × 85 cm (total height: 85 cm)
Approximate weight:
-Per element: 0.25 kg (0.55 lb)
-Complete system: 4 kg (8.8 lb)
Materials:
-Base–root: 3D-printed PLA, matte finish, green color
-Upper body: Italian eco-friendly and recyclable paper, chlorine-free, 220 g, pearl color.
Techniques:
-3D printing
-Structural paper folding
-Manual assembly
Data source
Date:
30 de March de 2026
