Graduate Thesis Project to Reduce Waste
Donation protected
My name is Caylee and I am currently working on my Graduate Thesis project at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). Thesis semester marks the last semester of the Masters in Architecture Program and we are expected to produce proprietary work at a professional level. I have spent the last 3 years of school researching and practicing sustainability and regenerative design, finding new ways to design and build that benefit the planet. My thesis proposal continues this environment focus by using only recycled and trashed materials, along with emerging technologies to produce and present a clothing collection. For example, my pre-project diverted 10 pounds of plastics and 10 pounds of discarded textiles from landfills and the ocean into a wearable outfit that was 3D-printed at home.
I want to help change the concept of waste and promote better, cheaper, more easily accessible methods of circular economy in fashion and architectural design. As part of my thesis I am raising money for two organizations working towards similar goals. The first is a Non-profit Foundation called The Ocean Cleanup, which has started operating its largest ocean cleanup project ever with advanced technology in System 002. The Ocean Cleanup project has already removed 63,900 pounds of trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch- the largest of five trash patches in the oceans located between California and Hawaii, made up of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic. The project is further developing its technology within System 003 and together these Systems will remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.
The second is a company working in the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is the driest desert in the world and currently the largest dump site for discarded clothes coming from the United States, Asia, and Europe. Most of the clothes are no longer able to be sold in country and because the majority are not biodegradable they’re exported to the port in Iquique, Tarapaca Region, specifically to "Zona Franca" in the Atacama Desert. Of the estimated 59 million tons of clothing that arrive each year, only 10% are commercialized in Chile. The rest go directly to unofficial dump sites in the “Free Zone”; polluting the ground with toxic chemicals, killing wildlife and suppressing local industry and development. EcoFibra has been using the Atacama textile waste to make thermal and acoustic building insulators since 2018. Ecofibra's products are manufactured as mats, blankets, sheets and bulk, with different densities, thicknesses and insulating capacities, allowing an efficient insulation alternative for the building industry. The use of ecological thermal insulation panels helps to save up to 35% of electricity consumption due to the reduction in the use of heating/cooling inside homes; it also favors environmental decontamination by reducing the burning of wood for heating homes in cold areas. The production process is 100% circular, at the end of use the thermal panels are returned to EcoFibra to be recycled without generating any waste. Your donations will support EcoFibra and The Ocean Cleanup, giving these organizations a better chance at making bigger impacts in the climate crisis.
My thesis project will require access to equipment that will breakdown plastic trash into filament to be 3D printed at a 1 to 1 human scale. Additionally, it will require obtaining discarded textiles and working with emerging technologies, like additive manufacturing, carbon printing and Kevlar extraction to create new looks. I have begun 3D printing shoes and fabric swatches out of 100% recycled filaments, you can follow my progress and work @notjustanarchitect_
By the end of Summer my goal is to make significant contributions to EcoFibra and The Ocean Cleanup; and, to present a full fashion collection made from only discarded textiles, trash and recycled plastics. I will build out a runway space for architects and many more to view this collection in person and online. A link to the event will be shared with everyone who donates.
Additionally, there are still some Sponsorship opportunities available- if interested, please contact me directly at [email redacted]
I want to help change the concept of waste and promote better, cheaper, more easily accessible methods of circular economy in fashion and architectural design. As part of my thesis I am raising money for two organizations working towards similar goals. The first is a Non-profit Foundation called The Ocean Cleanup, which has started operating its largest ocean cleanup project ever with advanced technology in System 002. The Ocean Cleanup project has already removed 63,900 pounds of trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch- the largest of five trash patches in the oceans located between California and Hawaii, made up of 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic. The project is further developing its technology within System 003 and together these Systems will remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.
The second is a company working in the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is the driest desert in the world and currently the largest dump site for discarded clothes coming from the United States, Asia, and Europe. Most of the clothes are no longer able to be sold in country and because the majority are not biodegradable they’re exported to the port in Iquique, Tarapaca Region, specifically to "Zona Franca" in the Atacama Desert. Of the estimated 59 million tons of clothing that arrive each year, only 10% are commercialized in Chile. The rest go directly to unofficial dump sites in the “Free Zone”; polluting the ground with toxic chemicals, killing wildlife and suppressing local industry and development. EcoFibra has been using the Atacama textile waste to make thermal and acoustic building insulators since 2018. Ecofibra's products are manufactured as mats, blankets, sheets and bulk, with different densities, thicknesses and insulating capacities, allowing an efficient insulation alternative for the building industry. The use of ecological thermal insulation panels helps to save up to 35% of electricity consumption due to the reduction in the use of heating/cooling inside homes; it also favors environmental decontamination by reducing the burning of wood for heating homes in cold areas. The production process is 100% circular, at the end of use the thermal panels are returned to EcoFibra to be recycled without generating any waste. Your donations will support EcoFibra and The Ocean Cleanup, giving these organizations a better chance at making bigger impacts in the climate crisis.
My thesis project will require access to equipment that will breakdown plastic trash into filament to be 3D printed at a 1 to 1 human scale. Additionally, it will require obtaining discarded textiles and working with emerging technologies, like additive manufacturing, carbon printing and Kevlar extraction to create new looks. I have begun 3D printing shoes and fabric swatches out of 100% recycled filaments, you can follow my progress and work @notjustanarchitect_
By the end of Summer my goal is to make significant contributions to EcoFibra and The Ocean Cleanup; and, to present a full fashion collection made from only discarded textiles, trash and recycled plastics. I will build out a runway space for architects and many more to view this collection in person and online. A link to the event will be shared with everyone who donates.
Additionally, there are still some Sponsorship opportunities available- if interested, please contact me directly at [email redacted]
Organizer
Caylee Sacks
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA