Burn Design Lab

10/16/2026

This World Food Day, we are celebrating the incredible Wonder Stoves SL staff manufacturing cleaner burning institutional cookstoves in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Marking the founding of the UN Food & Agriculture Organization, the theme of this year’s World Food Day is “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.”

The men and women of Wonder Stoves SL embody this theme every day, manufacturing innovative cleaner burning institutional cookstoves that improve the health of kitchen staff and support the feeding of thousands of school children across Sierra Leone.

Our engineers Patrick and Sofia had the privilege of visiting the Wonder Stoves SL factory in Freetown this month, working with the factory staff on stove production and getting to experience the positive impact of innovative technology on food security for children and the health and safety of women across West Africa.

Learn more about BDL’s recent trip to Sierra Leone in our upcoming fall newsletter by joining our mailing list (link in bio).

10/09/2026

Still obsessing over these incredible, smoke-free fire pits designed in collaboration between BDL and Vashon's own Meadow Creature LLC? We have good news: the pre-order date has been announced!

A limited run of these one of a kind fire pits will be available for pre-order on October 30th. The BEST way to get alerted when the pre-order goes live is to subscribe to our mailing list (link below) so you don't miss out on these incredible fire pits. This run will be quite small so putting your pre-order in quickly will be crucial!

Each of these stoves supports a local business in our community and BDL's mission to increase access to cleaner cooking around the world. Join the mailing list here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/VPjBYhc/newsletter

10/07/2026

This fall, BDL engineers Patrick and Sofia once again visited our manufacturing and community partners in Sierra Leone! These visits are important for strengthening our ongoing partnership with Wonder Stoves SL, for getting invaluable data on cookstove use and durability, and for allowing our engineering team to connect with stove users — the women and families positively impacted by an increased access to cleaner cooking.

Patrick and Sofia have spent several weeks working in and around the Wonder Stoves SL factory, as well as visiting communities and installing stoves in households around Freetown. Each stove reduces the amount of smoke and particulate matter released into a family’s home, while also saving them money on charcoal.

Get the full trip breakdown in our fall newsletter coming out next week! Not subscribed for our quarterly newsletter? Sign up with the link in our bio and never miss out on the amazing impact of cleaner cookstoves around the world!

09/30/2026

Burn Design Lab has been cooking up something completely unique 🔥 This year BDL teamed up with longtime collaborators Meadow Creature to create a one of a kind outdoor firepit!

This firepit design is as functional as it is beautiful, combining BDL’s expertise in clean combustion with meadow creature’s metal fabrication experience. The result? An outdoor firepit that burns cleaner with limited smoke while still delivering the experience people love about an outdoor fire. And most importantly, proceeds from each firepit will contribute to BDL’s lifesaving mission benefiting cleaner burning cookstove projects in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.

BDL and Meadow creature will be releasing an extremely limited number of these incredible firepits for pre-order this fall. Want to be the first to know when they’re available? Sign up today for our mailing list below and get exclusive access to pre-order announcements, behind the scenes info, and more. Now you too can breathe easier with Burn Design Lab.

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/VPjBYhc/newsletter

09/25/2026

BDL engineers cookstoves to burn fuel more efficiently, reduce smoke and emissions, and deliver better performance at an affordable cost. We also design the manufacturing systems needed to produce these stoves reliably and at scale, creating local jobs and economic opportunities while bringing practical clean cooking solutions to more families around the world.
Learn more and support our work at burndesignlab.org

09/16/2026

What a great evening!
A huge thank you to everyone who came out for the Bridging the Continents – Across Africa event. We loved sharing stories, connecting with friends and supporters, and giving you a glimpse into the work happening at Burn Design Lab.
If you’d like to learn more, get involved, or make a donation, visit burndesignlab.org
We’re grateful to have you with us on the journey!

09/10/2026

Eight months. One overland journey across Africa. This Sunday, hear the stories behind it.

Join Andre van der Most at Vashon Center for the Arts as he shares stories and photographs from his journey. Burn Design Lab will also share about our work and impact.

Doors open at 6:00 pm, and the program begins at 7:00 pm. Admission is free, and no ticket is required.

We hope you can join us!

Learn more:

Vashon Center for the Arts initiates quality arts experiences for all ages and creates opportunities for artists to perform and exhibit their work.

08/28/2026

Ever wondered what it’s like to travel overland across Africa?

Join us at Vashon Center for the Arts on Sunday, September 13, as Andre van der Most shares stories and images from his eight-month journey across the continent. Burn Design Lab will also share how we’re working with partners and communities across Africa to develop cleaner-burning cookstoves.

Doors open at 6:00 pm, and the program begins at 7:00 pm. The event is free, and no ticket is required.

Learn more:

Vashon Center for the Arts initiates quality arts experiences for all ages and creates opportunities for artists to perform and exhibit their work.

08/07/2026

As many of us across the Pacific Northwest are paying closer attention to the air we breathe, our hearts are with everyone affected by the wildfires and poor air quality.

Air Quality is determined by the amount of health-damaging pollutants, including small particles, like PM2.5, that pe*****te deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually [WHO. 2022].

Learn more here: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/health-safety/safety-injury-prevention/emergency-preparedness/personal-preparedness/wildfire-smoke

06/02/2026

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who came out to our picnic and open house on Saturday!

It was wonderful to connect with so many supporters, community members and partners. We were truly energized by all the new visitors who dropped in to check us out!

Thank you for taking the time to meet our staff, see our work and operations firsthand, and hear more about the impact we are making in the communities we serve.

If you weren’t able to join us, or want to learn more, please reach out to [email protected]. You can join our community of supporters by donating here: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E334987&id=11