ECOWEEK 2017 Projects in Tilburg, The Netherlands A Bio-Based Approach to Design
ECOWEEK took place in Tilburg, the Netherlands on May 7-13, 2017 in collaboration with Avans University of Applied Sciences. The international conference and design-build workshops proposed bio-based interventions in the city of Tilburg, to promote environmental awareness, through design and construction workshops, that experimented with cutting-edge technologies and age-old construction techniques. For example, bricks made from agricultural leftovers such as plant stems and seed husks, bound together with mycelium and “grown” in molds instead of oven-baked; concrete mixed with bacteria that precipitate calcium carbonate as a waste product to make concrete more durable and reduce maintenance costs, and biodegradable packaging and furnishings made with 3D printing based on fungi. ECOWEEK 2017 was organized by Gie Steenput and Michiel Smits, hosting speakers Sue Spaid, Jacob Voorthuis, Han Wösten, Wim Goes, Eric Klarenbeek and Ronald Rovers, and keynote speaker research chemist Michael Braungart co-author of Cradleto-Cradle, who also joined the workshop proposals critic. The workshops explored bio-mimetics and the social and environmental impact of design, testing construction practices with natural materials and low-impact technologies. “A product which people cannot make a living is not a good product, a product which become waste has a quality problem”, said keynote speaker Michael Braungart after his ECOWEEK lecture, to Maria Luisa Palumbo interview for domus.
W3: Biomimicry Inspired Design WORKSHOP Leaders: Lydia Fraaije-Beukes and Ilse van Rosmalen. WORKSHOP Team: Swen Broeken, Ruud de Brouwer, Alexandros Comunello, Peter de Wijs, Eugeny van de Manakker, Gerwin van den Boogaart, Jordy van Es, Philip Verbiest, Stefan Verheij, and Claire Wright. The workshop centered on concepts of biomimicry, to improve design process by capitalizing on almost four billion years of experience by nature, designing products that are “grown” instead of “made”.
W4: Myth Busters WORKSHOP Leaders: Jasper Sluis and Willem Böttger. WORKSHOP Team: Altin Boshnjaku, Sümeyra Demir, Danny Ketelaars, Koen Marcelissen, Jeroen van de Sande, and Martijn de Weger. The workshop introduced concepts of biomimicry focusing on scaffold structures, combining blocks made of straw and mycelium set on a wooden framework. Within a week, the organism grew and started to bind the elements together.
W5: Wilhelmina Water Channel: WORKSHOP Leader: Paul Kersten. WORKSHOP Team: Art Bejtullahu, Priscilla de Hoogh, Esmee Dieteren, Joost Padberg, Calvin Soekimo, David Steijger, and Lars Willemsen. 60
