Desert Threads
Team
Name: Gabriel Vizcarrondo
Nationality: Puerto Rico
Institution / Company:
Name: Juan Diego Perez
Nationality: Ecuador
Institution / Company:
Name: Sinam Hawro Yakoob
Nationality: Germany
Institution / Company:
-HONOURABLE MENTION of Waste Pavilion Competition
The Atacama Desert, known for its extreme aridity and unique ecosystem, has increasingly been facing various forms of pollution. Especially the impact of fast fashion waste on Chile’s Atacama Desert has been both significant and concerning.
The clothing arrives in Chile from various countries around the world and ends up unsold and dumped in the desert. Clothing waste contains large amounts of chemicals, not only posing great environmental risks but also taking hundreds of years to biodegrade. The social effect of rampant consumerism in the clothing industry – such as child labor in factories or derisory wages – is well-known, but the disastrous effect on the environment is less publicized.
The Project “Desert Threads” aims to address the problem of mountains of clothing dumped in the desert by recycling fabric waste and simultaneously raising awareness. As visitors arrive at the site, they are immediately confronted with the staggering sight of massive piles of clothing dumped in the desert, vividly illustrating the consequences of the excessive production of textiles. Within this sea of discarded garments, a prominent pavilion stands at the center. Guests are guided along a spiral-shaped path, symbolizing the never-ending cycle of the fast fashion industry, often referred to as the “take-make-dispose” paradigm. This design metaphorically represents the continuous loop of consumption and waste generation perpetuated by the industry.
The pavilion walls are built using bricks made from shredded clothes. To create a brick, two to three shredded shirts are pressed into a mold and bonded together with an eco-friendly glue. The result is a colorful brick that provides an impactful experience during the pavilion tour. Additionally, the roof of the building is made of yarns extracted from the same fabric waste. This innovative and eco-friendly approach not only addresses the clothing dump issue in the Atacama Desert but also holds potential for broader application of the use of fabric waste for construction beyond this region.
#Recycling #Waste reduction #Landfill #Fast fashion #Enviornmental impact
