Sustainable Design Meets Urban Renewal: How New York’s Fallen Trees are Lighting Up Our Living Spaces
Stickbulb’s latest collection, TREELINE, brings a fresh narrative to design, one that goes beyond aesthetics and delves into the heart of sustainability and local craftsmanship. In a city that never sleeps, putting the spotlight on the lifecycle of urban trees is a wake-up call. Stickbulb, known for its design-forward lighting, is now pioneering a bold new direction in materials sourcing, spotlighting New York’s fallen trees — an overlooked urban resource.
With the TREELINE collection, the conversation shifts from tree removal and waste to one of recovery and thoughtful repurposing. The story of these pieces begins with the city’s arborous inhabitants, whose end in the urban landscape now opens a new chapter in sustainable design. By collaborating with Tri-Lox and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Stickbulb is challenging the status quo while redirecting the destiny of these trees from the waste stream into the crafting of luminary art.
Each piece in the collection carries the DNA of the city, literally. Sourced from pin oaks, prevalent in NYC’s urban forests, this wood is laden with its own history, now beautifully encapsulated in the form of linear lighting. The silhouettes of the TREELINE fixtures are a direct nod to the city’s architectural skyline, achieved by Stickbulb’s meticulous design process.
Building a more sustainable future where every fallen tree can have a new life.
The ingenuity of Stickbulb’s approach is underscored by their establishment of the WOOD BANK — a strategic reserve of salvaged wood. This is not just a buffer against the unpredictability of urban wood flow but a critical step toward a circular economy that is as concerned with future resources as it is with today’s designs.
“Treeline got us out of our studio and into the forest, learning and collaborating across disciplines to try to make meaningful, scalable, lasting change in the world. It has felt more like an adventure than product design,” says Russell Greenberg, co-founder of Stickbulb.
TREELINE’s architectural lighting series is more than a set of products; it’s a platform that reflects a larger commitment to environmental stewardship and educates on the potential of urban forestry. Stickbulb’s exhibition, set to open in their Long Island City showroom on November 10 2023, isn’t just about showing new designs but telling the full story — from the life of a Manhattan pin-oak tree to the transformative process that turns wood into light.
By unveiling the TREELINE collection, Stickbulb extends an invitation to design enthusiasts and eco-conscious consumers alike to rethink what’s possible in product design and material sourcing. This is a call to witness how local resources, when harnessed thoughtfully, can not only brighten our homes but also NYC’s future in sustainability.
