Ullahau

Ullahau is a design project centered around Swedish wool. As an aspiring textile designer, I chose to begin developing my expertise by working with this remarkable and versatile material. The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of wool, its properties, production, and applications, as well as to design a product that reflects my research. Throughout the process, I explored the full lifecycle of Swedish wool, from its raw form to its refinement into usable material. A particularly compelling discovery was that a significant portion of Swedish wool, around 50% in 2020, is discarded. This waste is largely due to limited infrastructure, such as a lack of accessible wool laundries and spinning mills, as well as the fact that many sheep farmers in Sweden primarily focus on meat and skins rather than wool.  With growing interest in utilizing this undervalued resource in Sweden, I chose to base my design on low-grade Swedish wool to highlight the potential of this often overlooked material. During my research, I also discovered that wool naturally possesses sound-absorbing properties, and this insight shaped the direction of my final design concept: a 100% Swedish wool sound absorber. The design of the product draws inspiration from Gotland, a region significant to sheep farming and wool production. The result of my project reflects my commitment to sustainable design while contributing to the revaluation of Swedish wool as a local resource with untapped potential.