Workplace Plasticity

Description

The high turnover of Australia's commercial office space represents an often overlooked component of the built environment’s ecological footprint. Drawing upon circular-design strategies, Workplace Plasticity offers a novel approach to the design and fabrication of common workplace elements using recycled polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic. Through the materialisation of innovative and functional prototypes, we demonstrate a model of circularity that responds to the specific environmental challenges of office fit-out churn, manages embodied carbon and significantly reduces waste via the reutilisation of technical nutrients (i.e. recyclable waste) already in the industrial ecology. Our research suggests that circularity offers designers a transformative lens through which to embrace and harness the indeterminant lifespan of workplace furnishings whilst championing a decarbonised future.

Period	30 Aug 2022
Event title	2022 Enviro Conference
Event type	Conference
Location	Canberra, Australia, Australian Capital TerritoryShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National