The next instalment of HotHouse, the popular exhibition of New Zealand's hottest entrepreneurial ideas, features a spectrum of eco-products incorporating sustainable design for life – and death. 

The next instalment of HotHouse, the popular exhibition of New Zealand's hottest entrepreneurial ideas, features a spectrum of eco-products incorporating sustainable design for life – and death. 

From Greg Holdsworth’s eco-coffin to The Plant Room, a unique “bolt-on” garden room, Hothouse Season 3 celebrates the latest and the greatest in New Zealand sustainable design.

Greg Holdsworth’s Return To Sender: An Eco Coffin manages to solve an environmental problem as well as being aesthetically pleasing for grieving families. The artisan casket aims to complete the circle of life with minimal impact on the earth; it is made from sustainable sourced materials and its wool lining is 100% biodegradable.

Designer David Trubridge is recognised internationally for his creations and is no stranger to the Milan Furniture Fair. Last year, he was invited back to exhibit there and decided to make sustainable design his theme. The result is Basket of Knowledge, a lighting installation that includes three lights representing body, mind and spirit and suggesting that all three need to be in harmony in order to protect the environment.  David took his inspiration for the design from Maori mythology.

Formway Furniture is an award-winning design company whose latest invention is so new it’s not yet available in New Zealand. The Bee Chair was created by Kent Parker, Paul Wilkinson and Jake McLaren. Inspired by the changing workplace, the Bee chair is designed to move when and how the sitter moves. The Bee chair is made from low emitting products, uses minimal material and is designed for an extended product life.

 Fashion design lecturer Holly McQuillan from Massey University College of Creative Arts has created a zero-waste garment called Wolf/Sheep.  Holly notes that every time a new garment is created about 20% of the fabric is unused. She fuses zero waste pattern cutting techniques, traditionally used in Kimono production, with digital textile printing technology to create a garment with no waste.

 A team from Victoria University of Wellington, School of Architecture has created The Plant Room, a prefabricated room that bolts-on to apartments to improve living standards and be kind to the environment. The Plant Room reduces energy and water use by providing hot water, an all year-round healthy growing space for plants, a worm farm, a rainwater tank and a clothesline. It also shades the apartment to avoid summer overheating and collects hot air to circulate warmth in the winter. A prototype of The Plant Room is currently being developed.

HotHouse is curated by Leanne Wickham, designed by Tim Wigmore and James Moir and includes an mp3 audio tour. The exhibition is supported by GNS Science, a Crown Research Institute based in Lower Hutt, and Fraser Engineering Group.