Katie Graham

Entangled

Bachelor of Design Retail Experience Interior Design Experience Design Materiality Ecology and Sustainability Narrative

https://katie-graham-portoflio.my.canva.site/

https://katie-graham-portoflio.my.canva.site/entangled-project

Patrons walking along Nuffield Street are confronted by a view of undulating metal, interrupted by glass and recessed pockets from which flora bloom.

Biophillic Comic Book Store

My project, Entangled, explored the intersection between ecology and urban consumption. By drawing on the biophilia and microbiology that exist both subtly and overtly in superhero comics—specifically through the characters Poison Ivy and Spider-Man—Entangled draws patrons in like a spider ensnaring its prey. At the time I began the Comic Gutter brief, I was becoming hyper-aware of the disconnect between humans and nature and sought to create a space that bridged this gap, hoping to inspire the public to become passionate about the fight against climate change. This project allowed me to become further invested in sustainable design, native flora, and climate issues, while also enabling me to practice skills such as creating plant palettes that can be directly translated into real-world flora populating. By imbuing my design with plants and biophilic motifs, I have created a space for the public to experience nature intimately and informally.

Like the starting strands of a spider’s web, the entrance into Entangled creates the foundaion for the space. Angled mesh and wire bookshelves direct people to the crocheted netting, suspended over a sunken conversation pit.

Conversations, coffee machines, and footsteps create a hum of vibrations concentrated in the space, enticing passers-by to come inside.

Here patrons become the prey, lightly entrapped and gently cocooned in the net’s embrace. Crocheted with strengthened nylon, this net is reminiscent of Toshiko Horiuchi’s earlier work.