THE DAIRY FARM IS A UNIVERSE
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Circularity in design is about reducing, extending, and closing. Reducing the number of virgin resources extracted from existing systems. Extending the lifespan of materials. Closing the loop so that as few resources as possible escape the system.
Materials are not frozen resources. Material age, degrade, transform, fuse, mature, leak, and combine with their surrounding. Materials flow within technological or natural ecosystems. These obviously can lead to pollution and contamination. But it can also offer opportunities for symbiosis material developments and entangled relationships. Compostable, Biodegradable, recyclable, and reusable materials must be designed within closed-loop(s) circular systems.
« The dairy farm as a universe » is a design research project that explores the potential for sustainability and closed-loop material flow within the premise of a dairy farm. A dairy farm is a merger of various natural and industrial systems.
The project look at various material flow within the farm. Cellulose, starch, and lignin from wheat & casein and whey from milk. These can be used as resources for circular bio-composites to be used within the premise of the farm itself.
The first outcome of this research project are extruded profiles made of straw fibers and wheat starch. Relying on soft chemistry the transformations are as gentle and impactless as possible. The fiber are extracted by Fiber365 using steam explosion (Carbon negative and no chemical involved).
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Material innovation & Concept: Thomas Vailly
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Made possible with the support of Stichting Stokroos and Fiber365
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