extracurriculars

RePlaced / ReDirect

For.m.atter x XUniversity FMD

Sabrina Thomason, Georgia Barrington

April 2018 - Ongoing

X University, Toronto, ON.

A recycling project turned 3D material exploration that all started with the hope of changing the studio culture around material waste within the X University School of Interior Design.

Plastics in secondary and tertiary applications have great potential in solving issues of longevity in traditional building materials. Nothing lasts forever, except plastics. With single-use plastics being so widely consumed and discarded, the access to this raw material is nearly limitless.

Re-Placed aims to explore this potential by applying HDPE’s recyclability to the problem of Toronto’s homeless communities consequently redirecting plastics out of the landfill stream. Through investigating methods of re-processing end of life plastics by-way-of sheet material and modular unit applications we can explore the potential of creating more long term and lower barrier-to-entry DIY shelters for Toronto’s most vulnerable citizens.

Re-Placed_Georgia Barrington and Sabrina Thomason.jpg

processing collected HDPE

All the HDPE for this project was collected from friends and family who graciously rinsed out their contributions and donated them to the research project! From only 6 people, we collected over 50 empty bottles.

HDPE, High Density Polyethylene, a number 2 for those familiar with recycling symbol numbers, is one of the most common plastics found in all households. It’s what our laundry detergents, shampoos, creams and a lot liquid foods come packaged in. It’s ideal for reuse / recycling applications because well it’s essentially everywhere but also the plastic’s inherent durability, flexibility and waterproof qualities mean that it can be reimagined as any number of things. Structural building materials, pavers, shingles, even wearable goods.

Ecological Impact Team

Design Fabrication Zone x The Innovation Studio

October 2021 - April 2022

The Studio Headquaters, 110 Bond St, X University

It’s a running joke among friends and colleagues that I am the Trash (wo)Man.
I launched an initiative at the end of my 1st year aimed at designing and implementing a new waste management system within the School of Design after learning that all our workshop waste went to landfill. This lead me to discover that this was the status quo in all the workshops within the Creative School Faculty, 10 or so spaces and thus for the remaining years of my degree I made it my mission to change this.

The Ecological Impact Team was born out of this original uphill one woman effort. With the support and funding of the Design Fabrication Zone and The Studio, we were able to hire a team of 3 eco-minded students to design and build out a new waste system for the Studio’s Workshop. I am currently lead and project manager for this ongoing program.