Re Lax Urban Sitting Equipment by Barbara Princic |
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| DESIGN NAME: Re Lax PRIMARY FUNCTION: Urban Sitting Equipment INSPIRATION: The inspiration for the project were strong orange colour polyester belts. They come with cargo shipped to the port of Koper in Slovenia. The aim was to promote a reuse of those belts which were discarded on the yard and were sent to incineration plant. For me any discarded material is the inspiration for what could possibly be designed out of it to prevent a waste disposal. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The project Re Lax presents the urban bench and the chair. Both structures are made from two different discarded polyester plastics. One in a form of strong cargo belts and the other as nonwoven fabric both coming as waste from different companies. The Re Lax urban equipment design is the role model for circular design. Urban equipment is designed for disassembly. It is completely modular. Each part can be replaced. Both polyesters are durable and resistant to any weather conditions. Belts are intertwined and arranged in a special pattern, creating tense but soft and thin sitting surface. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Product is intended for sitting, for relaxation. The idea is that primarily this urban equipment should be placed in the city of Koper and in other nearby seaside areas. It is about strengthening the identity of the city through its port. The interaction is therefore also visual and emotional. Besides it would be a strong message and information to society what circularity of materials and resources really means. To reuse and not to throw away. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: I started experimenting with polyester belts in October 2021. Several possibilities of use were tested. The focus on development of urban equipment took place from January 2022 in Slovenia. |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Vertical panel from polyester felt is made by the technology of thermoforming. Electrical energy is needed for that. No water is used. Four or five panels together are strengthened mechanically with screws. Belts are mounted by hands. They could be washed before use, but we decided not to do it. It is expected that the same result is achieved when they are exposed to rain. Some energy is used to cut and to turn the metal beam. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: The intention was that the bench or the chair is heavy enough to stand still but still possible to be moved by two persons. The weight of the bench is 19 kilograms, the dimensions are, length 150, width 48, high 61 cm. The weight of the chair is 14 kilograms, the dimensions are, length 65, width 52, high 65 cm. TAGS: Polyester cargo belts, thermoformed felt, urban equipment, reuse, remanufacturing, product life extension, sustainability, modular design, design for repair, design for disassembly RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The research has focused on experimenting with polyester belts. When transformed into fibres, new material performance is achieved. When illuminated, it could be used in traffic equipment. If intertwined in several ways into several patterns it offers very strong flat surface which can be used for many purposes. Sitting surface is just one of them. The intention was to explore the material properties to extend the product lifespan through the principle of reuse which causes the lowest environmental impact compared to other eco design and waste management strategies. CHALLENGE: The challenge was how to turn material away from incineration plant and reuse it in another cycle. Both plastics derive from production and service waste of two different companies. Belts come from port of Luka Koper. 20 tons per year are burned. Felt comes from Filc. The first 50 meters of material running through machines are not usable because of minor mistakes. Therefore, this material is balled and ready to be transferred to incineration plant. Around 1500 tons are burned annually. Material weather resistance led to the idea for the development of product to be used outdoors ADDED DATE: 2022-03-07 20:32:59 TEAM MEMBERS (1) : IMAGE CREDITS: Renderings: Ambroz Mocnik Photographer: Mark Dobrilovic |
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| CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS | |
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NAME: Barbara Princic Cogito Design PROFILE: Barbara Princic Cogito Design has been following sustainability issues and promoting sustainable design principles for over twenty years. And yet it has only been the last few years that the design strategy of reuse preferred by Barbara Princic Cogito Design has gained serious wider attention among the business society. That offers the opportunity to implement the concepts of circular design through each of our projects. |
| AWARD DETAILS | |
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Re Lax Urban Sitting Equipment by Barbara Princic is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Sustainable Products, Projects and Green Design Category, 2021 - 2022.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with Barbara Princic. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by Barbara Princic. |
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