Organic Matters / Thesis by laurafreixasconde

Organic Matters rethinking the future and value of regenerative economy, organic matter and local production

Master in Design for Emergent Futures 2019-20 IaaC, FabLab Barcelona and Elisava | Laura Freixas

Organic Matters is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed in the Master in Design for Emergent Futures 2019/20 by Laura Freixas Conde and the faculty and collaborators: Faculty Oscar Tómico Tomas Díez Mariana Quintero Guillem Camprodon Marion Real Milena Juarez Anastasia Pistofidou Jessica Diaz Jonathan Minchin Kate Armstrong Eduardo Chamorro Oscar González Santi Fuentemilla Josep Martí

Collaborators Taller Esfèrica Nomad Coffee Òria Cosmètica REMIX El Barrio SISCODE Judith Gómez Secil Asfar Zoe Tzika Laura Clèries Pere Llorach Carlos Sáez Amaia Aranzabal Jordi Bou MDEF Class

Fig 1. Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation (2014). Economy Models [Drawing].

A circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital. It is based on three principles: design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems.

Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation

Master in Design for Emergent Futures Journey

Fig 2. MDEF (2019). Methodology [Diagram].

Planet

Country

City

District

Home

Person

1st Term Understand how to Design for Emergent Futures

2nd Term Envision Emergent Contexts

3rd Term Create Future Speculations

Abstract

Organic Matters is an initiative to rethink the future and value of regenerative economy, organic matter and local production. The initiative has different lines of research: a material platform to connect local producers with material designers and industries, a consulting service and a space to collaborate, develop and implement compostable applications that return nutrients back to Earth. The project explores the intersection between design, biology, chemistry, technology, material science, community and self-sufficiency. And from there, three questions arise: What if we use organic surplus from local producers and transform it into regenerative applications for climate-resilient economies and societies? Is it possible to program the lifespan of a material based on its use and know what nutrients it brings to the soil when it is composted? What is the minimum infrastructure to generate a local and regenerative product? Organic Matters platform promotes a local regenerative production model connecting local producers, material designers and companies interested in regenerative and low environmental impact materials. Through the platform it is possible to: map the surplus organic matter from local producers, collaborate with other material designers and generate compostable applications using artisanal and digital manufacturing techniques, and finally, seek investment to research, produce and disseminate regenerative materials and low environmental impact applications. Finally, to make the project viable and replicable, it is necessary to develop an accurate narrative and knowledge around regenerative materials, processes and systems in order to communicate and implement properly the value of the proposal to society.

Contents

Abstract 5

Area of Interest and Weak Signals 1.1 Personal Introspection 1.2 Area of Interest 1.3 Weak Signals 1.4 My personal Weak Signals

Area of Intervention 24 2.1 Exploring the space of my intervention 2.2 Organization of Matter 2.3 Mapping Opportunities in Poblenou 2.4 Surplus & Collaborations 2.5 Case Study #01: Taller Esfèrica 2.6 Polymers 2.6.1 Bioplastic Standards

2.6.2 Classification by Origin

2.7 Product Breakdown 2.8 REMIX El Barrio 03

State of the Art 60

Future Scenarios 68

The Interventions 72 5.1 Biomaterial Explorations 5.1.1 Biomaterial Research References

5.1.2 Material Composition 5.1.3 Open Source Recipe: Materiom 5.1.4 Chitosan & Cellulose Explorations 5.1.5 Case Study #02: Nomad Coffee 5.1.6 Collaboration: Judith Gómez 5.1.7 Table of Mycelium & Coffee Compositions 5.1.8 Mycelium & Coffee Explorations 5.1.9 Reflection

5.2.1 Casting 5.2.2 Injection 5.2.3 3D Paste Extrusion 5.2.4 Growing 5.2.5 Future Production Tools Experimentations 5.2.6 Reflection

5.3.2 Online Workshop in Muraly 5.3.3 Reflection

5.2 Production Tools

5.3 Biomaterial Infrastructures 5.3.1 Circular Production References

MDEF | The chapters of my journey

Designing in Emergent Contexts: Covid-19 6.1 Covid-19 Scenario 6.2 My New Me 6.3 My New Design Space

134

7 Hyper-Local / Global Interventions 7.1 Growth Plan 7.2 Map of interactions & Collaborations 7.3 Fab City Full Stack 7.4 Circular Product 7.4.1 Case Study #03: Òria Cosmètica

144

7.4.2 Òria Plants, Wood & Mold Explorations 7.4.3 Reflection

7.5.2 Water Solubility 7.5.3 Soil Compostability 7.5.4 How does composting work? 7.5.5 Compost benefits 7.5.6 Typologies of compost 7.5.7 Conditions that affect the composting process 7.5.8 Biodegradable plastics suitable for home composting 7.5.9 Abono Km0 7.5.10 Reflection

7.6.2 Material Platform 7.6.3 Reflection

7.5 Controlling Compostability 7.5.1 DIY observations at home

7.6 Organic Matters 7.6.1 Social Feedback

Identity 214 8.1 Personal Constituency & Biography 8.2 New Weak Signals in my Future Scenario 8.3 Mapping my new Weak Signals

Looking Forward 228 9.1 Emerging Narratives 9.1.1 Empathy Map

9.1.2 Instagram 9.1.3 Look & Feel

9.2 Looking Forward 10

Final Reflection 242

Reference Sources 250

Area of Interest and Weak Signals Chapter 1 1.1 Personal Introspection 1.2 Area of Interest 1.3 Weak Signals 1.4 My personal Weak Signals

1.1

Personal Introspection

Since childhood I had in mind, I wanted to be involved in the creative sector. My dream was to be an inventor or a painter. When I grew up I began to worry about nature, resources, connections between people and our future. Upon entering the university stage I saw very clearly that I wanted to do Industrial Design Engineering and later I started Product Design, both degrees in Elisava.

The “Microbial Home” is a proposal for an integrated cyclical ecosystem where each function’s output is another’s input. The home is viewed as a biological machine to filter, process and recycle what we conventionally think of as waste – sewage, effluent, garbage, waste water. The project suggests that we should move closer to nature and challenges the wisdom of annihilating the bacteria that surround us. It proposes strategies for developing a balanced microbial ecosystem in the home. In October 2016, during the realization of an academic project about bees and internet of things, we visited Johnathan Minchin in Valldaura with a classmate. His collaboration strengthened the project and connected us with AnneMarie Maes, a bioartist who combines art, science, technology and biology. The fact of knowing these people and the Valldaura space opened my mind and I realized that my personal career could be much broader than I had imagined.

Fig 3. VHM (2010). Microbial Home [Project].

The university stage was intense and marked my personal interests around the concepts: research, circular economy, self-sufficiency, community and innovation. One of the projects that has inspired me the most is “Microbial Home” of VHM Design Futures studio. Our world is sending us warning signals that we are disturbing its equilibrium. A drastic cut in our environmental impact is called for. This project explores how the solution is likely to come from biological processes, which are less energy-consuming and non-polluting. We need to go back to nature in order to move forward.

Fig 4. Fab City & Space 10 (2016). Made Again Challenge [Photo].

Area of Interest and Weak Signals | 11

When I met the work of Space10 I understood I was passionate with the design projects that were around the concept of “future living lab”. Space10 defines itself as a research and design lab on a mission to enable a better everyday life for people and planet. The “Made Again Challenge” project between Space10 and Fab City Research Laboratory inspires me. Biologists, tech professionals, local makers, craftsmen, IKEA designers, and other trailblazers gathered for the project and collected waste products from the streets of Poblenou in order to breath new life into materials that were heading to landfill. Throughout a week, the teams worked together, within the boundaries of Poblenou, to give another chance to products and materials that were on their way to the landfill. Much more than an exercise in recycling or upcycling, it turned out to be an exercise in system thinking. The participants demonstrate how productive a neighbourhood can become when its inhabitants are empowered by the knowledge, tools and infrastructure necessary to make and remake products locally and sustainably.

Fig 6. Materfad in A@W (2018). Future Woods [Exhibition].

Fig 5. Viewpoint (2018). City Futures [Magazine].

Viewpoint Magazine has been nurturing me with inspiring projects in its different publications on materials, textiles, products and colors. It is also a source of information to understand the new social, technological and cultural trends of society.

In December 2017 I started collaborating with Elisava Research and Materfad in the creation of the exhibition â&#x20AC;&#x153;Future Woods. Earth & Marsâ&#x20AC;?. This project enriched my background on materials, wood innovations, applications, properties, production processes, companies in the sector and material projects developed by designers. Participating in a project with these characteristics allowed me to see and collaborate in all phases of the exhibition at Architect@Work.

Area of Interest and Weak Signals | 13

Fig 7. Freixas, Laura (2019). 0-knit, Bacterial Cellulose Threads [Project].

Parallel to the development of the exhibition “Future Woods. Earth & Mars” I started my final degree project “0-knit”, about characterized bacterial cellulose threads. The motivation of the project was to understand the growth of the material, see its possibilities to become a natural everyday polymer and offer alternatives to the textile sector. After months of experimentation, tests and errors, I saw that it could be characterized by the application of boiling and drying processes. This research showed me the complex and interesting world of biofabrication and textiles.

In October 2018 I began working in Puig Ideation FabLab with the objective to organize the in-house materials library and showroom. I was collaborating on the project “Materialization of the Trends of 2019” which translates the values and philosophy of the 6 trends of the year in 12 innovative materials (6 for the bottles and 6 for the caps). All the design and production had been carried out in Puig Ideation FabLab with 3D printing processes, numerical control machines, laser cutting and artisanal processes. I also was involved in the design of a two days innovation workshop called “Moving Towards a Circular Economy” in Ca l’Alier. In some way, I would like to make converge all these projects and interests related to biology, design and technology. And also, learn to incorporate the community vector inside the project with the objective of getting feedback, enrichment and impact on society. I think the MDEF program can show me tools to prototype ideas in the real world.

After José Luis De Vicente’s talk about “Atlas of the Weak Signals”, I have been looking at Neri Oxman’s work and I love what she has developed. Her vision, her philosophy and her projects inspire me. I keep the phrase “design for, with and by nature”. “Krebs Cycle of Creativity” is an attempt to represent the antidisciplinary hypothesis that knowledge can no longer be ascribed to, or produced within, disciplinaries boundaries, but is entirely entangled. The goal is to establish a tentative, yet holistic, cartography of the interrelation between these domains, where one realm can incite (r)evolution inside another; and where a single individual or project can reside in multiple dominions.

Fig 8. Oxman, Neri (2015). Krebs Cycle of Creativity I [Diagram].

Personally, this master’s degree is an opportunity to learn from professionals in many fields, learn from my colleagues and acquire a contemporary knowledge to develop a project with my personal interests. The topics of the MDEF program that seem to motivate me the most are synthetic biology, biomaterials, new technologies, circular economy and new production systems.

Area of Interest and Weak Signals Fig 9. Solanki, Seetal (2018). Why MAterial Matter [Book].

Area of Interest and Weak Signals | 17 1.2

Area of Interest Why Materials Matter, Seetal Solanki (2018) We are living in an increasingly interdependent world. Climate change, food security, economic and financial crises, and also, poverty and armed conflict know no borders. Individual actions by countries are not enough to deal with it or to address its causes. More than ever a collective effort is necessary both globally and locally. According to Liz Corbin throughout history societies have discovered and developed materials, made tools and artefacts from them and, in so doing, constructed themselves in the process. In many ways, we’re living out the material dreams and needs of our ancestors, with much of the lifestyles that we’re accustomed to today standing as a product of past invention. This raises the questions: what will the next 50 years look like? What will we dream up? And, most importantly, who gets to take part in the process? As avid inventors and consumers of gadgets, we talk a lot about the role technology plays in our lives and how those who shape it shape society. What we forget is that, in equal measure, so too do those who participate in the development of materials. It is precisely for this reason that materials demand special attention in the present moment. The field of materials is expanding at a rate faster than we can study, with a recent estimate counting over 160.000 unique materials in the world. What’s more, when we begin to study a material, we’re immediately launched into an ever more complicated system of scales - the nano, micro, meso and macro - that we can begin to understand its molecular makeup, mechanical properties and experiential qualities. Complexity at this order of magnitude defies any single way of knowing. Rather, it necessitates an array of techniques, from computational modelling and measuring, to experimental trial and error, to sensing and observation.

We’re quickly moving into a world where the challenges and desires we’re trying to address are far too complicated for researchers in any single subject area at any single scale to resolve. The skill of the twenty-first century’s great thinkers will not be cleverness in one particular discipline, but rather knowing how to use materials as a bridge between disciplines. As a global society, we’re going to need lots of people with different skills to tackle the complex issues that face us today. The power of materials is that they transcend the boundaries of multiple disciplines. They can act as a catalyst for bringing diverse groups of agents together, whether it be engineers, designers, architects, biologists, botanists, farmers, environmentalists or anthropologists. There is currently an European Project called MaDe which promotes Material Designers, the agents of change. They can design, redesign, reform, reuse and redefine materials giving them an entirely new purpose. Increasing the potential of materials they can go on to research, advise, educate and communicate what materials are and can be in the immediate, near and far future. These actions have the ability to implement positive social, economical, political and environmental change across all sectors, towards a more responsibly designed future. In recent years there has been an increase in projects and brands related to circular economy and sustainability. Personally there are two types of projects that interest me: upcycled waste materials and grown materials. For now, I want to focus on analyzing the upcycled waste materials and what production systems exist to transform them.

1.3

Weak Signals

A Weak Signal is an indicator of a potentially emerging issue that may become significant in the future. Weak Signals supplement trend analysis and they can be used to expand on alternate futures. When we started the Master in Design for Emergent Futures we saw about twenty Weak Signals and from there we began to select the indicators that most motivated us or caught our attention. Personally I selected the following Weak Signals: Carbon Neutral Lifestyles, Circular Data Economies, Human-Machine Creative Collaboration, Interspecies Collaboration and Rural Futures. For me, the sum of these Weak Signals generate a research space between design, biology, technology, community and self-sufficiency. Carbon Neutral Lifestyles In the near future I would like the world to be a place where carbon dioxide emissions are neutralized, that is, net zero carbon footprint. For me, the Weak Signal Carbon Neutral Lifestyles it is related to three more concepts: Green Chemistry, Self-Sufficient Cities and Negative Impact.

Green chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances. Green chemistry applies across the life cycle of a chemical product, including its design, manufacture, use, and ultimate disposal. Green chemistry is also known as sustainable chemistry. Green chemistry · Prevents pollution at the molecular level · Is a philosophy that applies to all areas of chemistry, not a single discipline of chemistry · Applies innovative scientific solutions to real-world environmental problems · Results in source reduction because it prevents the generation of pollution · Reduces the negative impacts of chemical products and processes on human health and the environment · Lessens and sometimes eliminates hazard from existing products and processes · Designs chemical products and processes to reduce their intrinsic hazards According to White Paper written by Tomas Díez, Self-sufficient cities are those that reinvent the relationship between people and nature by re-localising production so that cities are generative rather than extractive, restorative rather than destructive, and empowering

Designing for the Anthropocene

Life in the times of Surveillance Capitalism

Life after AI the end of work

··CClimate limate Conscience · Long-Termism · Interspecies Collaboration · Carbon-Neutral Lifestyles · Fighting Anthropocene

· Attention Protection · Truth Wars · Dismantling Bubbles · Circular Data Economies · Re-designing Social

· Fighting AI bias · Human-Machine Creative Collaboration · Technologies for Equality · Imagining New Jobs · Making Universal Basic Income Work

Area of Interest and Weak Signals | 19

Finally, once the Carbon Neutral Lifestyles concept becomes a reality, it would be necessary to go further and reverse the impact of carbon dioxide by betting on materials and applications that generate Negative Impact, absorbing carbon dioxide to regenerate the ozone layer and leave the Earth as it was before the extraction of fossil fuels. Circular Data Economies I imagine a collaborative and circular society where the Circular Data Economies concept is a reality with a positive impact. I personally relate this concept to: Design for Regeneration, Circular Economy and Material/Waste Flow Data. Regenerative Design is a process-oriented whole systems approach to design. The term “regenerative” describes processes that restore, renew or revitalize their own sources of energy and materials. Regenerative Design uses whole systems thinking to create resilient and equitable systems that integrate the needs of society with the integrity of nature. Designers use systems thinking, applied permaculture design principles, and community development processes to design human and ecological systems. The development

of regenerative design has been influenced by approaches found in the biomimicry, biophilic design, ecological economics, circular economics. As well as social movements such as permaculture, transition and the new economy. Regenerative design can also refer to the process of designing systems such as restorative justice, rewilding and regenerative agriculture. Related to this concept we have the Circular Economy that looks beyond the current takemake-waste extractive industrial model. A Circular Economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive society-wide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital. It is based on three principles: Design out waste and pollution Keep products and materials in use Regenerate natural systems Material/Waste Flow Data enable cities to become more circular, i.e. close material cycles, decision-makers need detailed data about the production and treatment of waste. At city level, conventional statistics on waste are often incomplete or lack detail. Waste input-output accounting offers an alternative, using waste supply and use tables to create detailed inventories of economy-wide flows of waste.

After the Nation-State

Kill the heteropatriarchy

· Rural Futures · Refugees Tech · Making World Governance · Pick your own Passport · Welfare State 2.0

· Non-Heteropatriarcal Innovation · Imagining futures that are not Western-Centric · Gender Fluidity · Disrupt Ageism

Fig 10. MDEF (2019). Atlas of Weak Signals [Concepts].

rather than alienating, where prosperity flourishes, and people have purposeful, meaningful work that they enjoy, that enables them to use their passion and talent. We need to recover the knowledge and capacity on how things are made in our cities, by connecting citizens with the advanced technologies that are transforming our everyday life.

Human-Machine Creative Collaboration In this age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), we are witnessing a transformation in the way we live, work, and do business. From robots that share our environment and smart homes to supply chains that think and act in real-time, forward-thinking companies are using AI to innovate and expand their business more rapidly than ever. Indeed, this is a time of change and change happens fast. Those able to understand that the future includes living, working, co-existing, and collaborating with AI are set to succeed in the coming years. On the other hand, those who neglect the fact that business transformation in the digital age depends on human and machine collaboration will inevitably be left behind. Humans and machines can complement each other resulting in increasing productivity. This collaboration could increase revenue by 38 percent by 2022, according to Accenture Research. At least 61 percent of business leaders agree that the intersection of human and machine collaboration is going to help them achieve their strategic priorities faster and more efficiently. I relate the concept Human-Machine Creative Collaboration to: Optimize Processes, Program Matter and Customize Techniques. Interspecies Collaboration I understand the concept Interspecies Collaboration as the collaboration between different species as living organisms. Personally I relate Interspecies Collaboration to: Bioremediation and Augmented Empathy. Bioremediation is a process used to treat contaminated media, including water, soil and subsurface material, by altering environmental conditions to stimulate growth of microorganisms and degrade the target pollutants. In many cases, bioremediation is less expensive and more sustainable than other remediation alternatives. Biological treatment is a similar approach used to treat wastes including wastewater, industrial waste and solid waste.

Most bioremediation processes involve oxidation-reduction reactions where either an electron acceptor (commonly oxygen) is added to stimulate oxidation of a reduced pollutant (e.g. hydrocarbons) or an electron donor (commonly an organic substrate) is added to reduce oxidized pollutants (nitrate, perchlorate, oxidized metals, chlorinated solvents, explosives and propellants).[2] In both these approaches, additional nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and pH buffers may be added to optimize conditions for the microorganisms. In some cases, specialized microbial cultures are added (bioaugmentation) to further enhance biodegradation. Some examples of bioremediation related technologies are phytoremediation, mycoremediation, bioventing, bioleaching, landfarming, bioreactor, composting, bioaugmentation, rhizofiltration, and biostimulation. As Oscar Tomico describes Augmented Empathy: “We are just yet another animal species in the planet and maybe now it’s the time to actually accept it and explore a different role, a different way of being. We don’t own the Earth, we don’t own the planet and the solar system. We’re just inhabiting it and it’s the time to rethink what it means…”. “If humans are not in the centre of everything, if humans are not anymore like the main character that rules everything, if we are just anyone else, if we are just another species, if we are just you and me… I think that this completely changes the way that we relate to things. This subjective component is this idea that we are all people, we all have feelings, we all are different. Diversity”.

Area of Interest and Weak Signals | 21

Rural Futures Alternative futures take place in specific places and times. Rural environment is a specific space, extending from the urban outskirts to wilderness. When thinking about Rural Futures, it is important to observe the specific characteristics of rural places. First, the rural activity space is geographically dispersed. The logic of agglomeration lies within city boundaries, but coordination and governance of the rural activities follow the logic of a dispersed economy. Second, rural activity is bound to specific places, which has many implications. Fields, forests and minerals can not become moved and transplanted to new places where business booms. Due to the law of deminishing returns in the biological processes, ”industrialization” of primary industries faces problems. The rural businesses are bound to be rather small and local, and so is the scale of success. Third, adaptability of the rural economy is limited in some respects. The evolution of biological production is slow (e.g. change of animal stock or crop varieties), the yield of natural recources can not become regulated in the same way as a machine (e.g. natural conditions have an effect) and several sunk costs glue the activity to the existing line of action (e.g. expensive building with little alternative uses). Renewal of the rural economy is relatively slow. Fourth, rural activity is often severely policy-dependent. The use of natural resources, the food supply and the energy supply are sensitive issues which many societies are willing to control and subsidise. Rural bureacracy is an institution. In developed economies, the rural minority is affected by the dreams, fears, needs and powers of the urban majority. Among others, these four features have set specific ploys for the rural futures. What implications do they have on our rural futures under investigation? For me, the Weak Signal Rural Futres it is related to: Low-Tech Futures and Circadian Rhythms.

Circadian rhythms are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that follow a daily cycle. They respond primarily to light and darkness in an organism’s environment. Sleeping at night and being awake during the day is an example of a light-related circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythms are found in most living things, including animals, plants, and many tiny microbes. The study of circadian rhythms is called chronobiology. Biological clocks are an organism’s innate timing device. They’re composed of specific molecules (proteins) that interact in cells throughout the body. Biological clocks are found in nearly every tissue and organ. Researchers have identified similar genes in people, fruit flies, mice, fungi, and several other organisms that are responsible for making the clock’s components. Circadian rhythms can influence sleep-wake cycles, hormone release, eating habits and digestion, body temperature, and other important bodily functions. Biological clocks that run fast or slow can result in disrupted or abnormal circadian rhythms. Irregular rhythms have been linked to various chronic health conditions, such as sleep disorders, obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.

1.4

My personal Weak Signals

I have selected the following Weak Signals: Carbon Neutral Lifestyles, Circular Data Economies, Human-Machine Creative Collaboration, Interspecies Collaboration and Rural Futures. For me, the sum of these Weak Signals generate a research space between design, biology, technology, community and self-sufficiency. Carbon Neutral Lifestyles Circular Data Economies Human-Machine Creative Collaboration Interspecies Collaboration Rural Futures

Area of Interest and Weak Signals | 23

Fig 11. Freixas, Laura (2019). Personal Atlas of Weak Signals [Diagram].

Area of Intervention Chapter 2 2.1 Exploring the space of my intervention 2.2 Organization of Matter 2.3 Mapping Opportunities in Poblenou 2.4 Surplus & Collaborations 2.5 Case Study #01: Taller EsfĂ¨rica 2.6 Polymers 2.6.1 Bioplastic Standards

2.6.2 Classification by Origin

2.7 Product Breakdown 2.8 REMIX El Barrio

Area of Intervention Fig 12. Freixas, Laura (2016). Plants Fractality [Photo].

Area of Intervention | 27 2.1

Exploring the space of my intervention

During the first trimester weeks I was seeing which were the areas of knowledge that most interested me: Biology Zero, Living with your own ideas and Exploring Hybrid Profiles. Without being very aware of it, I was generating an intervention area. Biology Zero’s week with Nuria Conde was a turning point for me. These five days served to delve into the world of biology and organize the knowledge acquired over the years in a scientific way. I saw the importance of using the appropriate nomenclature and precisely defining the new concepts, understanding on what scientific basis they are found. The scientific method seemed to me a very interesting tool to use during my project. The scientific method is based on: 1 / Ask one question. 2 / Do your background research 3 / Construct one hypothesis. 4 / Design an experiment. 5 / Perform the experiment. 6 / Analyze your data. 7 / Reach a conclusion.

This course with Nuria Conde and Jonathan Minchin has shown me the importance of the DIYbio movement that encourages the open exchange of materials, data and scientific publications. The origin of the DIY movement has its peak in the 2000s due to open source electronics and open workshops. It has also made me appreciate the potential of microorganisms and their production systems. In summary, the course has inspired me to observe and learn from nature to design and build sustainable systems. In the week Living with your own ideas we saw the eassey about “Designing for, with or within: 3rd, 2nd and 1st person. Oscar Tomico presented us with the different points of view to design a system. We saw a Design Case about using and sharing sustainable energy from different points of view.

Analyzing this project has helped me to see the importance of knowing from which perspective you are acting and what are the useful tools in each case. I have seen the pros and cons of the three cases. The one I like the most is design within, as a personal challenge. Design with the existence in the context: material, waste, technology, resources, people and existing infrastructures. I decided to take action and go to Pobenou on Thursday morning to see and ask people about waste. My main question was: Is it possible to upcycle the waste generated within Poblenou? I was walking around IAAC surrounding each “illa” taking pictures of the local business. I stopped and went in to ask the places I thought I could find an interesting waste of manufacture and with the possibility of making an upcycle product. I talked to the person in charge of the space and told them that I was working on reusing waste and trying to create new products in Poblenou. In the week Exploring Hybrid Profiles in Design session we were introduced by reading the article “Designing for the unknown: a design process for the future generation of highly interactive systems and products”, and also, through a series of questions: Who you are? Why did you select the MDEF program? What’s your vision? What’s your identity? Finally, during the month of November, Mariana Quintero introduced me to Milena Juarez and Marion Real from FabLab BCN and those in charge of the European SISCODE project. Milena and Marion explained to me that in January there would be an open call for people who wanted to work with a leftover organic raw material and do an upcycling in the Poblenou area. This project is called REMIX El Barrio and there are more details in the Biomaterial Infrastructure intervention (chapter 7).

2.2

Organization of Matter Biology Zero Summary

ORGANIZATION OF MATTER Quantum Mechanics Chemistry Quantum Mechanics (Atomic Elements) Chemistry / Biochemistry (Molecules & Biomaterials) Molecular Biology (Macromolecules) Microbiology (Life Cells) Cellular Biology (Unicellular & Pluricellular) Physiology (Human Body) Cultural Evolution (Consciousness & Intelligence)

Esquema electron microscope - light microscope

SCIENTIFIC METHOD #1 Ask one question #2 Do your background research #3 Construct one hypothesis (based on facts) #4 Design an experiment #5 Perform the experiment #6 Analyze your data #7 Reach a conclusion

THE TREE OF LIFE

ADN

Area of Intervention | 29 Food

Autotrophes

PERIODIC TABLE

Photosynthesis Aerobic Anaerobic

Heterotrophes

Information Managment (DNA)

Phagocytosis (food particles)

Eukaryote Prokaryote

Kingdom

Archaeabacteria (U, P) Eubacteria (U, P) Protista (U&M, P)

CLASSIFICATION BY KINGDOM

Fungy (M, E) Plantae (M, E) Animalia (M, E)

Organisms

Life Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Specie

Glycerol + Fatty Acids

Lipids

(form membranes)

Glycerol

(sugar & polialcohol)

Metabolism

Fatty Acid

(carboxylic acid + chain of carbon)

Chemical Elements Functional Groups

Amphiphile

(a molecule with: water loving + fat loving)

Lipid

(form membranes)

Aminoacids

Enzymes

Oxidoreductases (Oxidation / Reduction) Transferases (Atom / Group transfer) Hydrolases (Hydrolisis) Lyases (Group removal) Isomerases (Isomerization) Ligases (Joining of molecules linked to the breakage of a pyrophosphate bond)

Krebs Cycle Nucleotides

Carbohydrates

Monosaccharides (one sugar molecule)

Disaccharides (two sugar molecules)

Glucose Fructose

(ten or more sugar molecules)

Transferases (Atom / Group transfer) Hydrolases (Hydrolisis) Lyases (Group removal)

Lactose

Isomerases (Isomerization)

Maltose

Polysaccharides

Oxidoreductases (Oxidation / Reduction)

Sucrose

Oligosaccharides (two to ten sugar molecules)

Fermentation

Galactose

Ligases (Joining of molecules linked to the breakage of a pyrophosphate bond)

Stachyose Starch Glycogen Cellulose

Fig 13. Freixas, Laura (2019). Biology Zero Summary [Diagram].

2.3

Mapping Opportunities in Poblenou Living with your own Ideas 07 / 11 / 2019

Is it possible to upcycle the waste generated within Poblenou?

waste and community opportunity of waste future opportunities iaac + fablab

Fig 14.1. Freixas, Laura (2019). Mapping Opportunities of Waste in Pooblenou [Map].

Area of Intervention | 31

Edge Brewery

El Torn

El “moco”

Surface “moco”

Mannà

Glovo

Cobi

la Nau

La Siberia S.A.

Codeworks

Montoya

FX Animation

Ideologies

Fountain

La Fàbrica

Liken

Artisanal Beer

Hub of Ceramics

El torn

Escola Bressol

El torn

Music Space

Furniture & Gadgets

11072019 | Field Research Is it possible to upcycle the waste generated within Poblenou? Fig 14.2. Freixas, Laura (2019). Mapping Opportunities of Waste in Pooblenou [Photo].

Area of Intervention | 33

Dryied “moco”

Detail “moco”

Residency Zone

CopiServei

connectHORT

Portal del Mar

Adam Hall

Design Gallery

La Gran Bodega

Streets

EcoLAB

Racó de la Vila

Molt VEG

(Opportunity)

El torn

Experience Technology BCN

1984

Organic Art Food

Fig 14.2. Freixas, Laura (2019). Mapping Opportunities of Waste in Pooblen

Academy of Arts

Candendê

(Unkown)

Creative Arts

Valkiria

(Opportunity)

UPC

Trinijove

Nomad Co ee

Egg Shell

Co ee Grain

“Pallofa” Co ee

Detail Samples

BCN

Hub Space

Leka

Nomad Co ee

International School

E Waste

Nomad Co ee

11072019 | Field Reserach Is it possible to upcycle the waste generated within Poblenou? Fig 14.3. Freixas, Laura (2019). Mapping Opportunities of Waste in Pooblenou [Photo].

Area of Intervention | 35

nou [Photo].

Frida’s ’ Tierchen

Indissoluble

Llacuna

BAU

Nomad Co ee

(Second Hand)

La Fàbrica

Iaac Instagram

Foodture

Flat Trash 7/ 7 11/19

T Tallers Ramon

(Design Shop 2H) Professional L’ L’Art

Organic

Metro

MACT

Event 7/ 7 11/19

Evolution

(Unkown)

Rua Papel Gestion Nest City Lab

Machine

Mold

Inside Mold

Materials

Prototypes

Apps Circular

FOS Taller Esfèrica

Adel Mobile

FOS Taller Esfèrica

Adel Mobile

11072019 | Field Research Is it possible to upcycle the waste generated within Poblenou? Fig 14.4. Freixas, Laura (2019). Mapping Opportunities of Waste in Pooblenou [Photo].

Area of Intervention | 37

Nest City Lab

Glasses

Detail Mold

Creu Roja Project ABS Detail

Sound Studio

Plant Seller

FOS Taller Esfèrica

Showroom

FOS Taller Esfèrica

Materials

FOS Taller Esfèrica

2.4

Surplus & Collaborations Poblenou is a neighborhood of revolutions. The first of these was the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, the district of Sant Martí, known as Poblenou and more popular for transhumance than for anything else, became the Catalan Manchester. Gradually these industries gave way to residential areas in the 60s, empty lots and abandoned factories that took life with another revolution that of 22@, the commercial and economic axis that is now. And another revolution! The abandoned factories became design studios, art schools, artist workshops, showrooms, restaurants and gastronomic laboratories.

I’ve been looking at the shops, restaurants and industries of Poblenou and found some opportunities of waste that could be upcycled like Leka, Nomad Coffee and Edge Brewing. I have defined one case study: Compostable Glasses of Taller Esfèrica. In a near future, they want to develop a compostable glasses but at the moment they don’t have time to research and experiment. Personally this is material research is what I enjoy the most. This collaboration allows me to focus the personal project on a real case under a specific briefing and with the possibility of testing the result.

FOS Taller Esfèrica

Nomad Coffee

LEKA

Edge Brewing

El Torn

Plat Institute

Investigate compostable and injectable materials with good mechanical properties to make glasses.

What can be done with artisan beer waste?

What can be done with the coffee peels?

Is it possible to reusel “moco” waste? The “moco” is a mixture of mud, with several glazes, enamels, wax, soap...

What opportunities can generate restaurant waste?

Are there any lines of research open around the topic “Zero Waste Mission”?

Fig 14.5. Freixas, Laura (2019). Mapping Opportunities of Waste in Pooblenou [Photo].

Area of Intervention | 39

2.5

CASE STUDY #01

Fig 14.6. Taller Esfèrica (2014). FOS Eyewear [Project].

Taller Esferica - Compostable Glasses

Since 2014 we have been conducting activities for universities, schools and entities interested in changing the paradigm of our consumer society. In parallel, we design and develop products that exemplify everything we teach in hands-on workshops. You can come and make them in our workshop, and have products with low environmental impact, made by you.

Fig 14.7. Taller Esfèrica (2014). FOS Eyewear [Project].

Taller Esfèrica in Nest City Lab (Àlaba, 100 /Barcelona)

Area of Intervention | 41

CASE STUDY #01

TALLER ESFĂ&#x2C6;RICA - Compostable Glasses

Collect Waste Coffee Peels Nomad

Beer Waste Edge Brewery

Fruit Peels Market Cuina

Eggshells Leka/LittleFern

Seafood Portal del Mar

Compostable Glasses Requirements

ABS

(C)

(H)

Mechanical Resistance Flection Hardness Durability

Process #1 Injection Thermoplastic Melt Flow Index

Process #2 Milling Board Format

Compostability Biopolymers Biobased Biodegradable Nature Conditions

Human Hypoallergenic Durability Quality Finish

Properties of Waste

CoC

Chemical Composition

Material Properties

Possible Processes

Composting Conditions

User Needs through Parametric Design

What parameters can have compostable glasses?

W1+2

P1+2

W = Waste P = Properties T = Technology

Process Waste

Which technologies can be used to process waste? 10.2

47.8

Injection Molding Milling Machine Additive Manufacturing

22.7 3.0 5.0

Use of Compostable Glasses

6.4 41.8 70.2

End of Life Compost Degradation Manage the Collection (TE)

Domestic Composting

Fig 14.8. Freixas, Laura (2019). Methodology Design Dialogues 1 [Diagram].

Industrial Composting

T1+2

Fig 14.9. Freixas, Laura (2019). Taller EsfĂ¨rica Workspace [Project].

Fig 14.10. Freixas, Laura (2019). FOS Eyewer by Taller EsfÃ¨rica [Project].

Area of Intervention | 43

Fig 14.11. Freixas, Laura (2019). FOS Eyewear Mold by Taller EsfĂ¨rica [Project].

Fig 14.12. Freixas, Laura (2019). Taller EsfĂ¨rica Showroom [Project].

2.6.1

Polymers Bioplastic Standards What is Bioplastic? This year “biomaterial” was presented as the Material of 2019 at London Design Festival. But what actually classes something as a biomaterial and in particular a bioplastic, and how can we begin to formally identify these materials as this field grows? Due to the newness of bioplastics, within the field of biodesign and material science, it is difficult to determine whether what is being created is actually sustainable. The UK government has now called for experts to help develop a standard for bioplastics. The published document asks for experts to help gather information, and help to implement these standards. Many bioplastics are produced as one off pieces of work, mainly by students or up and coming designers. Therefore these projects generally can be seen as speculative and need further testing. Statements such as ‘biodegradable’ are used to describe the material, even though this may not proven. Also, even though something is described as ‘compostable’ it does not mean you are able to just throw it into your garden. Instead these bioplastics may need to be broken down in an industrial composter. But the UK currently has little infrastructure in place to do this, so the bioplastics could go to landfill instead. So what is a Bioplastic? Bioplastics are usually made using polymers derived from plant-based sources such as starch, cellulose, or lignin. Some designers have used materials such as algae, as seen by Eric Klarenbeek who has created a filament for a 3D printer from it. If a product is correctly labelled as biodegradable it means that it can be broken down in water, biomass, and gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane. But this can depend on the conditions in which the product is degrading. Factors such as temperature, humidity, and the

microorganisms present all affect biodegradability. It is therefore difficult to determine the length of time taken to properly degrade. Researchers from the University of Plymouth recently found that shopping bags made from plastic described as “biodegradable” could still be in the same condition after three years in the ocean. Therefore this still gives a large amount of time for these plastics to cause harm to ocean animals. However, compostable plastics are break down safely into water, biomass and gasses under composting conditions, but still the time is difficult to determine. What this means? Although these new standards may seem like a step back from innovation and something that may put consumers off these more environmentally friendly alternatives, this actually paves a huge step forward in the development of bioplastics. By creating guidelines consumers will be able to make more informed choices, and greenwashing will become something of the past. Please continue to use the more eco friendly alternatives as they are still incomparably better than plastics and other non environmentally friendly materials. But in order to truly be better we must know what we are using and what impact it has. Which, thanks to new guidelines and standards, is coming very soon. Thus making biomaterials something that will be seen as norm.

Area of Intervention | 47

Examples Designer Lucy Hughes has used fish waste to create a compostable plastic, called MarinaTex, which has won this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UK James Dyson Award. The material uses fish scales and fish skin that is usually a waste product that would usually be put into landfill or incinerated. The UK Sea Fish Industry Authority calculates that as a country the UK produces nearly 500,000 tonnes of waste annually through fish processing, and that the waste from just one Atlantic cod is enough to produce 1,400 MarinaTex bags. The material itself is translucent and flexible, similar to the plastics used for single-use packaging such as bags and sandwich wrappers. It is also strong, and has a higher tensile strength than LDPE (low-density polyethylene). Unlike other bioplastics this material will break down in home composts or food-waste bins within four to six weeks. It also does not require the establishment of waste infrastructure for its proper disposal. In fact, due to the materials used it could actually be used as a positive edition to nature, such as for water retention and nutrients.

2.6.2

Bio-Based

Polymers Classification by Origin

Bio (PE, PET, PP, PA, PTT...)

Non-Biodegradable

TPS PHA PHB PBS PTT PLA Cellulose Carbohydrates Protein Based Lipid Based Natural Rubber Starch Blends

Biodegradable

PGA, PCL, PBS, PBAT, PVA...

Oil-Based

Synthetic Plastics

Area of Intervention | 49

Biodegradable Breaks down into smaller sized pieces. Requires heat, water, oxygen and microorganisms but may never fully break down. Make take decades to disappear. Plastics biodegrade into smaller pieces of plastic over a longer period of time.

Compostable Breaks down into non-toxic components. Requires heat, water, oxygen and microorganisms to fully break down. Breaks down completely and does not harm plant growth. Bio-based materials break down faster as long as the right conditions are met.

Certificates of Compostability

2.7

Product Breakdown Factors that affect the degree of decay

Type of Plastic?

Form of Product?

Biodegradable

Thin

Non-Biodegradable

Thick

Size, shape and layering are also important

Degree of

Degradation

Fragme

Disposal Conditions?

Length of Time?

Favourable Conditions

Months

Heat, microbes and moisture

Months

ยบC / Water / Oxygen-Air / Microbes / UV

Unfavourable Conditions

Centuries

Low light/UV in deep water Centuries

Cold and variable temperatures, lower microbial activity

Breakdown

entation

Biodegradation H2O

CO2

CH4

Fig 14.13. Freixas, Laura (2019). Degree of Breakdown Design Dialogues 1 [Diagram].

Area of Intervention | 51

Fig 14.14. Freixas, Laura (2019). Presentation Design Dialogues 1 [Diagrams].

2.8

REMIX El Barrio

Remix of materials, people and social experiences in the project El Barri Circular de Poblenou a pilot of the European Project Siscode. The objective is to promote the incubation of design projects with food surpluses and residues in the Poblenou neighborhood.

Fig 15.1. Freixas, Laura (2019). REMIX El Barrio Group [Project].

REMIX El Barrio will create a set of prototypes where each participant will focus on a type of local resource while collectively exploring new opportunities, limits and ways of working through a series of activities carried out jointly with the actors of the local community.

Fig 15.2. Freixas, Laura (2019). REMIX Interaction Map [Diagram].

Area of Intervention | 55

Zoe and I are participating in the project El Barri Circular from ReMix El Barrio organized by Marion, Milena and Anastasia (SISCODE Project). The first meeting with all the participants was at FabCity Hub (29/1/20).

Fig 15.3. Freixas, Laura (2019). REMIX Meeting in Fab City Hub [Photo].

Fig 15.4. REMIX (2019). Fab Academy Material Samples [Photo].

Fig 15.5. REMIX (2019). REMIX Workshop in Connecthort [Photo].

Fig 15.6. REMIX (2019). REMIX Workshop in Connecthort [Photo].

Area of Intervention | 59

State of the Art Chapter 3

Fig 16. Freixas, Laura (2020). Laia Mogas Scales of Matter [Project].

State of the Art

State of the Art | 63 3

State of the Art

We are living in an increasingly interdependent world. Climate change, food security, economic and financial crises, and also, poverty and armed conflict know no borders. Individual actions by countries are not enough to deal with it or to address its causes. More than ever a collective effort is necessary both globally and locally.

There is currently an European Project called MaDe which promotes Material Designers the agents of change. They can design, redesign, reform, reuse and redefine materials giving them an entirely new purpose. Increasing the potential of materials they can go on to research, advise, educate and communicate what materials are and can be in the immediate, near and far future. These actions have the ability to implement positive social, economical, political and environmental change across all sectors, towards a more responsibly designed future. In recent years there has been an increase in projects related to circular economy and sustainability. Personally there are two types of projects that interest me: upcycled waste materials and grown materials. For now I want to focus on analyzing the upcycled waste materials and what production systems exist to transform them.

The Blue Economy Gunter Pauli (2010) The Blue Economy goes beyond the Globalized and the Green Economy. Time has come to shift towards a competitive business model that responds to the basic needs of all with what is locally available. This economic philosophy was first introduced in 1994 by Prof. Gunter Pauli when asked by the United Nations to reflect on the business models of the future in preparation for COP3 in Japan where the Kyoto Protocol was decided. “I wish the Blue Economy to be an open source community that inspires the young at heart and in age to become entrepreneurs who want to make a difference.” The Story of Plastic Deia Schlosberg (2019) Plastic pollution is everywhere we look, smothering our oceans and poisoning communities around the world. Meanwhile, Big Plastic only plans to expand production. Luckily, a global resistance movement is rising up to fight back. Filmed across three continents and featuring never-before-seen footage from the front lines of the crisis, The Story of Plastic is the last documentary about plastic you’ll ever need to see, a seething expose of the true villains and heroes behind plastic pollution fight.

Aquahoja Mediated Matter (2018) Neri Oxman and her team have developed programmable water-based biocomposites for digital design and fabrication. The biopolymers used in Aquahoja are all composed of chitosan, cellulose, pectin, and water. Research into chitosan as bioplastic for large-scale consumer products (created from shrimp and other crustacean species’ exoskeletons) has been ongoing for several decades. “Derived from organic matter, printed by a robot, and shaped by water, this work points toward a future where the grown and the made unite.”

Circular Manufacturing of Biocomposites Singapore University of Tech & Design (2020) Bioinspired manufacturing, in the sense of replicating the way nature fabricates, may hold great potential for supporting a socioeconomic transformation towards sustainable society. Use of unmodified ubiquitous biological components suggests for a fundamentally sustainable manufacturing paradigm where materials are produced, transformed into products and degraded in closed regional systems with limited requirements for transport.

State of the Art | 65

Microbial Home VHM Design Futures (2011) Our world is sending us warning signals that we are disturbing its equilibrium. A drastic cut in our environmental impact is called for. Microbial Home explores how the solution is likely to come from biological processes, which are less energy-consuming and non-polluting. The Microbial Home is a proposal for an integrated cyclical ecosystem where each function’s output is another’s input. In this project the home has been viewed as a biological machine to filter, process and recycle what we conventionally think of as waste: sewage, effluent, garbage, waste water. Materiom Platform (2016) Materiom provides open data on how to make materials that nourish local economies and ecologies. We support companies, cities, and communities in creating and selecting materials sourced from locally abundant biomass that are part of a regenerative circular economy.

Material Designers EU Project (2019) MaDe (Material Designers), a project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of The European Union, aims at boosting talents towards circular economies across Europe through partnering of design and cultural institutions. MaDe is a competition, event series and platform devoted to realizing the positive impact material designers can have across all creative sectors, by providing creative solutions towards more sustainable futures. MaDe will showcase 120 Material Designers, 9 Partners, 6 Workshops, 3 Cities, 3 Exhibitions, 3 Winners and 1 Awards Ceremony. Beyond Plastic Precious Plastic (2018) Their aim is to create materials and short living products that disappear after they are disposed, and don’t harm the environment they might end up in (but instead add nutrients). They simply realized that people won’t stop throwing away stuff, so it’s worth to create products that can safely decompose. We chose to start tackling single-use plastic by making bowls and containers from potato peels and wheat bran. It’s a pretty straightforward process that only takes a few minutes of pressing and no more ingredients than peels/bran and water.

The Shellworks RCA (2019) The Shellworks are a series of machines that turn seafood waste into a biodegradable and recyclable bioplastic. They invented five manufacturing machines, called Shelly, Sheety, Vaccy, Dippy and Drippy, with which to transform the crustacean shells into different objects, being sure to not use any additives in the process that could affect the recyclability of the final product. Each of the other four machines exploit a specific property of the bioplastic solution to demonstrate its potential, resulting in different products such as anti-bacterial blister packaging, food-safe carrier bags and self-fertilising plant pots. Made from Malai Gombosova&Susmith (2015) Malai is a newly developed biocomposite material made from entirely organic and sustainable bacterial cellulose, grown on agricultural waste sourced from the coconut industry in Southern India. They work with the local farmers and processing units, collecting their waste coconut water (which would otherwise be dumped, causing damage to the soil) and re-purposing it to feed the bacteria’s cellulose production. One small coconut-processing unit can collect 4000 litres of water per day, which we can use to make 320m2 of Malai.

Biocontributing Packaging Haeckels (2019) In August, British wellness brand Haeckels, based on England’s windswept Kent coast, debuted its “biocontributing” packaging. Designed for Haeckels’ scented candles and haircare and skincare sets, the box is crafted from mycelium, a material that forms the root system of mushrooms, combined with sawdust, flax, and hemp husks. This concoction is grown around a mold, with the mycelium acting like glue. The resulting dried material is lightweight and resists impact and heat.

MYLO Bolt Threads (2009) They invent and scale advanced, credible materials that put on a path towards a more sustainable future. Way better materials for a way better world. They developed MyloTM from mycelium cells by engineering it to assemble into a supple yet durable material that has the potential to biodegrade and can replace real and synthetic leather.

State of the Art | 67

System

Scale of Production vs Product/System Application

Microbial Home

Opendesk

Beyond Plastic

Materiom

Circular Manufacturing of Biocomposites

Aquahoja

MaDe

MakeWorks

Kitchen Scale

Factory Scale Shellworks

Made from Malai Wikifactory

Product

Haeckels

Fig 17. Freixas, Laura (2020). Project Comparison of Production Scales [Diagram].

Bolt Threads

Future Scenarios Chapter 4

Future Scenarios

Future Scenarios | 71 4.1

My Future Scenario

My personal objective is to understand what means design for regeneration and which are the factors to take into account for designing a circular production system that follows the principles of ecosystems in nature.

I want to investigate the possibilities of turning organic waste as chitosan from seafood and coffee waste and coffee peels from Nomad Coffee into upcycled products. I’m participating in a project called “Remix El Barrio” where we share the process, tools and knowledge of upcycling waste from Poblenou with a group of creatives and material designers from Siscode with Milena, Marion and Anastasia. I want to explore digital fabrication tools to process the material for example, extrusion, casting and laser cutting. And also, start understanding which are the parameters that affect the properties of the material to design a monomaterial application with different functionalities. I also would like to explore what it means to program the life cycle of a material, understand the obtention of compostable polymers and the nutrients it has for the Earth. In addition, I would like to imagine new business models and how it could be the future microfactories of the neighbourhood. For this reason, to achieve this objectives I have structured the master project research of the second term in three interventions:

Fig 18. Freixas, Laura (2020). Interventions 2nd Term [Photo].

The Intervention Chapter 5 5.1 Growth Plan 5.2 Biomaterial Explorations 5.1.1 Biomaterial Research References 5.1.2 Material Composition 5.1.3 Open Source Recipe: Materiom 5.1.4 Chitosan & Cellulose Explorations 5.1.5 Case Study #02: Nomad Coffee 5.1.6 Collaboration: Judith Gรณmez

5.1.7 Table of Myc 5.1.8 Mycelium & 5.1.9 Reflection 5.3 Production Tools 5.2.1 Casting 5.2.2 Injection 5.2.3 3D Paste Ex 5.2.4 Growing

celium & Coffee Coffee Explorations

xtrusion

5.2.5 Future Production Tools 5.2.6 Reflection 5.4 Biomaterial Infrastructures 5.3.1 Circular Production Reference 5.3.2 Online Workshop in Muraly 5.3.3 Reflection

Fig 19. Freixas, Laura (2020). Laia Mogas Conference in Elisava [Photo].

The Interventions | 75 5.1

Growth Plan Term 2s

20/1/20

3/2/20

17/2/20

Biomaterial Explorations

Production Tools

Biomaterial Infrastructure

What if we upcycle the organic waste of Poblenou and transform it into compostable applications to program its life cycle?

Which kind of artisanal and digital production tools could be useful to produce biomaterial applications?

How are urban ecosystems going to integrate these cyclical production systems?

Objectives · Experiment with chitosan, cellulose, coffee grounds and mycelium.

Objectives · Use casting, 3D printing and growing techniques.

Objectives · Describe the purpose, capacity, tools, spaces and material flow of each production system.

· Look for interesting properties to make compostable glasses and packaging. · Colaborate with other material designers (Judith, Secil, Zoe, and Remix El Barrio team).

· Learn how to control 3D printing softwares (Rhino, Grasshopper and Repetier). · Look for advantages and disadvantages of each technology.

How could it be the biomaterial flow and microfactories of Poblenou?

· Online WKSP with “Remix El Barrio” to build a future scenario of the circular production in the neighbourhood. · Adapt and transform FabLab BCN to a microfactory of Poblenou.

DD2

24/3/20

5.2 Intervention 1

Biomaterial Explorations

What if we upcycle the organic waste of Poblenou and transform it into compostable applications to program its life cycle?

Objectives · Research existing biomaterial recipes and define the experiments. · Map the variations and understand the properties of the different compositions. · Search interesting properties and make my own recipes upcycling waste as basic ingredients. · Look for materials that could make compostable glasses and packaging. ___________________________________________________ Methodology · Scientific Research · Material Recipe Referents · Experiments · Document · Analyse · Iterate

Biomaterial Explorations Fig 20. Freixas, Laura (2020). Chitosan Tests [Photo].

5.2.1 Intervention 1

Biomaterial Research References

Designing the Ocean Pavilion. Biomaterial Templating of Structural Manufacturing and Environmental Performance MIT Mediated Matter

Driven by novel biomaterials design and natural aqueous formation, this research offers a new structural design perspective combining a crustacean-derived biopolymer with robotic fabrication to shape constructs that interact with the environment utilizing graded material properties for hydration-guided formation. We establish structural, manufacturing, and environmental design templating strategies informing the design of the constructs and their material makeup. We present a biomaterial- driven design process resulting in a novel structural system and a custom robotic manufacturing platform designed to deposit water-based composites unveiling novel functional, mechanical, and optical gradients across length scales. Components are form-found through evaporation patterns informed by the geometrical arrangement of structural members and the hierarchical distribution of material properties. Each component is designed to take shape upon contact with air and dissolve upon contact with water. We present the principles and method applied as a unique case demonstrating the material ecology design approach through additive manufacturing of lightweight, biocompatible and materially heterogeneous structures.

Fig 21. Mediated Matter (2017). Aquahoja [Project].

The Interventions | 79

Fig 22. Ling, Andrea (2019). Biopolymers for Responsive Architectural Scaffolds Rethinking Firmitas [Project].

The Interventions | 81

Biopolymers for Responsive Architectural Scaffolds Rethinking Firmitas Andrea Ling

Material research in architecture has thus typically been concerned with the development of longer-lasting, lower maintenance, sturdy materials. While contemporary design practice has offloaded the conseuences of the production and destruction of these materials away from the construction and maintenance of architecture such that both designer and user have a fragmented view of the life cycle of the material. By working with biologically derived materials with much shorter and fragile life spans, Ling is trying to keep those consequences in sight and on-site, developing a type of firmitas that is based on a dynamic system of decay and renewal as a means to longevity rather than static permanence.

Design and Fabrication of Chitosan based Structures Soraya Bornoz

In architecture as well as in many other fields, significant research efforts are made in order to integrate biological concepts and converge them with computation. In this context, bio-based materials such as cellulose, mycelium or algae are receiving a renewed attention as design materials for the numerous advantages they could offer in terms of weight, cost, environmental balance, mechanical properties or aesthetics. Their potential is yet to be explored after more than a century-long focus on petrochemical products. In particular, the final performances of structures made of these materials depend significantly on their nature, their original composition and the fabrication technique used. The objective of this thesis is to investigate the design and fabrication of chitosan-based structures. The aim is to understand through an exploratory experimental approach how the material behaviour of the chitosan and the digital fabrication process can inform the target design, and vice-versa. This research also provides an easily reproducible workflow to design heterogeneous structures made of chitosan.

Fig 23. Bornoz, Soraya (2019). Design and Fabrication of Chitosan based Structures [Scientific Paper].

The Interventions | 83

5.2.2 Intervention 1

Material Composition

Cellulose

Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula (C6H10O5)n, a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of B(1>4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose, a complex carbohydrate, or polysaccharide, consisting of 3,000 or more glucose units. The basic structural component of plant cell walls, cellulose comprises about 33% of all vegetable matter (90% of cotton and 50% of wood are cellulose) and is the most abundant of all naturally occurring organic compounds. Nondigestible by man, cellulose is a food for herbivorous animals (e.g., cows, horses) because they retain it long enough for digestion by microorganisms present in the alimentary tract; protozoans in the gut of insects such as termites also digest cellulose. Of great economic importance, cellulose is processed to produce papers and fibres and is chemically modified to yield substances used in the manufacture of such items as plastics, photographic films, and rayon. Other cellulose derivatives are used as adhesives, explosives, thickening agents for foods, and in moisture-proof coatings.

Chitosan

Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide composed of randomly distributed B-(1>4)-linked D-glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (acetylated unit).It is made by treating the chitin shells of shrimp and other crustaceans with an alkaline substance, like sodium hydroxide. Chitosan has a number of commercial and possible biomedical uses. It can be used in agriculture as a seed treatment and biopesticide, helping plants to fight off fungal infections. In winemaking, it can be used as a fining agent, also helping to prevent spoilage. In industry, it can be used in a self-healing polyurethane paint coating. In medicine, it is useful in bandages to reduce bleeding and as an antibacterial agent; it can also be used to help deliver drugs through the skin. The diverse biological activity of this polymer has been demonstrated by a vast number of assays conducted in animals and a few clinical studies in humans. Therapeutic applications have been proposed for chitosan because of its properties such as antioxidant activity, cholesterol, and triglyceride trapping, and antibacterial and hypoglycemic effects for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Fig 24. Oxman, Neri; Duro, Jorge; Mogas, Laia (2015). Form follows Flow [Scientific Paper].

The Interventions | 85

5.2.3 Intervention 1

Open Source Recipe: MATERIOM

The Interventions | 87

Chitosan 12%

Fig 25. MATERIOM (2020). Chitosan 12% [Online Platform].

http://materiom.org/recipe/48

Masure out the ingredients.

Add 200ml of hot tap water at 70-80ยบ. Add 20ml of vinegar. Stir with the blender. Add progressively the 24g of chitosan and stir again unitl a homogeneous solution is obtained. Place 5ml of glycerol and stir the mix until a homogeneous solution is obtained.

Cast the mix on a flat surface or on a mold. The thickness of the dried object will be 10 to 30% of the thickness of the cast solution.

Leave the material drying in open air until it becomes solid. Demold it soon enough to avoid bending.

Fig 26.1. Freixas, Laura (2020). Biomaterial Explorations [Intervention 1].

Fig 26.2. Freixas, Laura (2020). Biomaterial Explorations [Intervention 1].

5.2.4 Intervention 1

RESULTS

Chitosan & Cellulose Explorations

Fig 26.3. Freixas, Laura (2020). Biomaterial Explorations and Compositions [Intervention 1].

The Interventions | 91

5.2.5 Intervention 1

CASE STUDY #02

Fig 27.1. Nomad (2019). Nomad Coffee Roaster's Home [Photo].

Nomad Coffee

Nomad Roaster’s Home (Pujades, 95 /Barcelona)

During Nomad Coffee's daily activity, two types of organic waste are generated: chaff and coffee grounds. These two surpluses can be reused to generate new materials, such as mycelium.

Fig 27.2. Freixas, Laura (2020). Nomad Chaff and Coffee Grounds [Photo].

Jordi Mestre is the owner of the company Nomad Coffee. He’s two time spanish barista champion. Their coffee beans can be found all over Barcelona.

Fig 27.3. Nomad (2019). Coffee Roaster Machine [Photo].

5.2.6 Intervention 1

COLLABORATION

Fig 28. Gómez, Judith (2019). Material Designer Judith [Photo].

Júdith Gómez

Material Designer

Judith is a material designer expert in mycelium. She holds a doble degree in Product Design and Engineering in Industrial Design (Elisava). In mid-February I asked her if she wanted to collaborate to reuse surplus Nomad Coffee and feed mycelium to generate new materials. We spent a few days planning and executing the experiments. After a week we saw that it was working well and we prepared a second phase. On March 13th I had to go home because of the Covid-19 situation and I left the explorations in my room in Barcelona. Thanks to the collaboration of my roommate I have been able to see the progress through photos.

Fig 29. Freixas, Laura (2020). Mycelium and coffee explorations with Judith [Photo].

The Interventions | 95

Fig 30. Freixas, Laura; Ferrer, Maria (2020). Mycelium and coffee explorations growing during Covid-19 [Photo].

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5.2.7 Intervention 1

Table of Mycelium & Coffe Compositions Sample Nยบ

M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 M10 M11 M12 M13 M14 M15 M16

Mycelium (g)

Coffee Peel (g)

Coffee Grounds (g)

Water (ml)

Chitosan (g)

600

220

100

5.2.8 Intervention 1

RESULTS

Mycelium & Coffee Explorations

Fig 31. Freixas, Laura (2020). Mycelium and coffee compositions prepared with Judith Gรณmez [Photo].

The Interventions | 99

5.2.9 Intervention 1

Reflection

What if we upcycle the organic waste of Poblenou and transform it into compostable applications to program its life cycle? ___________________________________________________ Conclusions After carrying out the first intervention I have seen what is the state of the art on recipes for chitosan and cellulose, and also, what possibilities does mycelium offer by feeding on the residue of coffee peels and coffee grains. I have begun to understand the properties of the material based on the composition of each ingredient. And also, what possibilities does the material offer. Meeting with different experts related to biochemistry, materials science, biomaterials and the circular economy has allowed me to collect different perspectives and have different opinions on the same field. I am very happy with the process and I think that from January to the beginning of March there has been a lot of progress. The main objective of researching and experimenting with existing biomaterial recipes has been successfully accomplished. It has also been necessary to organize and map the experiments to understand the variations of the material depending on the composition. From this base I have begun to see what are the recipes that could fit with the application of compostable glasses and packaging. Now it is important to go to the second phase and test what craft and digital tools shape and give application to the material.

Fig 32. Freixas, Laura (2020). Chitosan and coffee peels explorations [Photo].

Fig 33. Freixas, Laura (2020). Chitosan 3D Paste Extrusion [Photo].

Production Tools

5.3 Intervention 2

Production Tools

Which kind of artisanal and digital production tools could be useful to produce biomaterial applications?

Objectives · Use artisanal and digital production tools with the biomaterial recipes. · Learn how to use the software (Rhino, Grasshopper, Repetier…) that controls each digital production tool. · Define the parameters that should be controlled in each technology. · Map the possibilities of application that each technology offers with the material. · Look for advantages and disadvantages of each technology. ___________________________________________________ Methodology In this intervention, the methodology followed has been the experimentation of artisanal and digital techniques to understand how different materials can be processed. · Experimental Research · Casting · Injection · 3D Extruding · Growing · Iterate

5.3.1 Intervention 2

Casting

Casting involves introducing a liquefied material into a mold and allowing it to solidify. In contrast to molding and extrusion, casting relies on atmospheric pressure to fill the mold rather than using significant force to push the plastic into the mold cavity. The transition from liquid to solid in this case is by evaporation or external heat from the oven at 100ยบC during 2 hours. The final product can be removed from the mold once it solidifies.

Fig 34.1. Freixas, Laura (2020). Casting with chitosan and cellulose [Photo].

In the case of the chitosan and vinegar composition, a considerable reduction in the volume of the sample is observed. As cellulose is added to the composition, the sample maintains its dimensions when dried.

Fig 34.2. Freixas, Laura (2020). Casting with chitosan and cellulose in different material molds [Photo].

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Fig 35.1. Freixas, Laura (2020). Injecting chitosan and cellulose with a Taller EsfĂ¨rica mold[Photo].

The Interventions | 107 5.3.2 Intervention 2

Injection

Injection moulding is a fast, piece-by-piece manufacturing procedure which is widely used because it gives high quality moulded objects, often without any finishing process required; even for complicated shapes and extreme dimensional tolerances.

Even so, I have tried to “inject” the mixture with a syringe into one of its first closed plastic molds and I have obtained a first test. The result is a fragile glass frame that has been broken in some parts by unmolding. This first test has served to see if it can dry in a closed, almost airtight plastic mold. Right now I do not have the mold to do more tests, but in the future I would like to try a higher composition of chitosan to give more rigidity to the frame and continue incorporating cellulose to maintain the geometry and control the dimension in the drying process.

Fig 35.2. Freixas, Laura (2020). Taller Esfèrica mold [Photo].

In the case of injection, I thought that it would be possible to inject the material into a mold from Taller Esférica to make the first tests of how compostable glasses would be like. After talking to them and seeing the composition of the material we saw that it was not feasible to inject the aqueous composition of chitosan with cellulose into their molds. The main reason is that since it is a watertight and hermetic mold, the water cannot evaporate or be absorbed by the metal of the mold in a short period of time.

5.3.3 Intervention 2

3D Paste Extrusion Paste Extruders, also called paste dispensers, are extruders which process anything that can simply be pushed out the nozzle. Many interesting and useful printing material can be extruded from such a dispenser: · Syringe pushed by belt or worm dive. · Pumped extruders (progressive cavity pump). · Pneumatic Paste Extruders (air pressure).

Fig 36.1. Freixas, Laura (2020). Manual Extrusion [Photo].

At FabLab BCN I have used four different types of extruders: manual, manual with motor, Prusa with syringe and Anycubic with syringe. In the future I would like to try a Pneumatic Paste Extruder that works with air pressure.

The Interventions | 109

Fig 36.2. Freixas, Laura (2020). 3D Paste extrusion with Secil Asfar and Zoe Tzika [Photo].

By testing the manual extruder (syringe) I learned that it was important to control the viscosity of the material. If the material is very liquid, the extrusion collapses and spreads quickly. If the material is too dense it is very difficult to push the paste and it does not extrude well. The idea is to create a mix that can be easily extruded, that is compact, maintains the cylindrical shape and does not collapse when layering.

Next step was doing some tests with the manual motor extruder and later with 3D paste extrusion with a syringe and an Anycubic 3D Printer.

Fig 36.3. Freixas, Laura (2020). 3D paste extrusion with chitosan and cellulose with a hacked Anycubic [Photo].

Fig 36.4. Freixas, Laura (2020). 3D paste extrusion with chitosan and cellulose with a hacked Anycubic [Photo].

The Interventions | 111

Fig 37.1. Freixas, Laura (2020). Growing mycelium inside Taller EsfĂ¨rica mold and using the coffee surplus of Nomad [Photo].

The Interventions | 113 5.3.4 Intervention 2

Growing

Fig 37.2. Freixas, Laura (2020). Preparing the mycelium experiments with Judith Gómez [Photo].

Similar to the fruits produced by a tree, mushrooms are the reproductive fruits of a dense, root-like network of cells, called ‘mycelium’. In the wild, this white network of fine threads grows out in all directions, breaking down its food into simpler molecules to further fuel its growth. When it runs out of food, or is put under some other form of environmental stress, it switches into survival mode and produces mushrooms in order to release its spores to the wind and find a better place to live.

Fig 37.3. Freixas, Laura (2020). . Preparing the mycelium experiments with Judith Gรณmez [Photo].

Fig 37.4. Ferrer, Maria (2020). Mycelium growing out of the petri [Photo].

The Interventions | 115

5.3.5 Intervention 2

Future Production Tools Experimentations In the future I would like to test how the material behaves with the following manufacturing processes: laser cutting, cnc, thermoforming, hot press and heatable mold. The first three processes are available at FabLab BCN and I would like to test these processes once the Coronavirus situation is over. The Hot Press and Heatable Mold Precious Plastic process has started testing them in their Beyond Plastic project. Next I leave the links of the Hot Press and Heatable Mold where the status and results are explained: Heatable Mould

https://davehakkens.nl/community/forums/topic/v4-beyondplastic-process-heatable-mould/

“I think a lot of biodegradable materials work the same: They need heat, pressure and a way for water to evaporate. So the plan is to build a stand-alone machine that is able to process a lot different raw materials. A heatable mould might be an important part for this machine.”

Fig 38.1. Precious Plastic (2019). Beyond Plastic Heatble Mold [Project].

Hot Press

https://davehakkens.nl/community/forums/topic/v4-sheetpress-system/

“The Sheet Press System we are going for consists of a Hot Press, a Prep Table and a Cooling Press. We discovered that getting the molds out while they are hot and pressing them further in a second press until they cooled down makes the process more efficient.”

Fig 38.2. Precious Plastic (2019). Beyond Plastic Machines [Project].

The Interventions | 117

5.3.6 Intervention 2

Reflection

Which kind of artisanal and digital production tools could be useful to produce biomaterial applications?

___________________________________________________ Conclusions As a final reflection of this intervention I want to say that it has helped me to begin to see how artisanal and digital processes work with recipes of biomaterials. At the moment the casting method is one of the fastest to obtain concrete geometries with good results. Although it is necessary to take into account the reduction of the material due to the evaporation of the water. As for the injection, I have seen that the mixture of chitosan with cellulose has not given me good results, surely due to the amount of water that the composition carries and also due to the low pressure applied with the syringe when inserting the material into the mold. I have been wanting to continue learning the 3D extrusion of pasta with the Anycubic machine and the mechanism of the syringe pushed by the motor. And also, I would like to test the compressed air tank. As a general conclusion, I have to learn more about Rhino, Grasshopper and Repetier. As for the mycelium I have not been able to see or touch the final results, even so, my roommate has sent me photos and it seems that the samples are growing well. As soon as I return to Barcelona I will document what the properties of the material are.

The Interventions | 119

Next, I leave a table that summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the processes used with chitosan with cellulose and mycelium with coffee: Tested Production Tools

Casting

Injection

3D Paste Extrusion

Fig 39. IaaC (2019). FabLab Barcelona Machines [Photo].

Growing

Pros (+)

Cons (-)

Easy to generate molds Small-medium production Precision High work rates (productivity) Complex forms Precision

Large initial investment (moulds) Reserved for mass-production

Customization Extrusion of different material pastes Small-medium production

Mediocre dimensional tolerances Matter becomes orientated

You just need to feed mycelium Reuse organic waste matter

Clean space Temp. conditions and growth time Control the growing parameters

In the future I would like to test how the material behaves with the following manufacturing processes: laser cutting, cnc, thermoforming, hot press and heatable mold. The first three processes are available at FabLab BCN and I would like to test these processes once the Coronavirus situation is over. The Hot Press and Heatable Mold Precious Plastic process has started testing them in their Beyond Plastic project.

Fig 40. Singapur University (2019). Biocomposites [Diagram].

Biomaterial Infrastructure

5.4 Intervention 3

Biomaterial Infrastructures

How are urban ecosystems going to integrate these cyclical production systems? How could it be the biomaterial flow and microfactories of Poblenou?

Objectives 路 Describe different future scenarios related to structures that upcycle organic waste: education, research and production. 路 Define the scales of production local systems: kitchen, FabLab and microfactory. 路 Describe the purpose, capacity, tools, spaces and material flow of each production system. 路 Adapt and transform FabLab BCN to a microfactory of Poblenou.

___________________________________________________ Methodology The third intervention is in the process of being carried out together with Zoe, Marion and Milena. The intention is to do an online intervention with the collective Remix El Barrio to define what possible scenarios could be linked to the upcycling of organic waste projects. At the moment we have defined three scenarios: education, research and production. Another interesting topic to analyze is the scale of local production, that is, defining the minimum infrastructure (capacity, spaces, tools and flow of materials) of the following contexts: kitchen, FabLab and microfactory. When I was making the presentation of Design Dialogues Term 2 Santi told me that Jess, Alessandra and Xavi were developing the Pop-machina project. The objective of this project is to create a circular community distributed in different countries. During this process of carrying out the intervention, the two teams will be in contact to share progress and doubts.

5.4.1 Intervention 3

Circular Production Reference #1 Microbial Home, VHM Design Our world is sending us warning signals that we are disturbing its equilibrium. A drastic cut in our environmental impact is called for. This Probe explores how the solution is likely to come from biological processes, which are less energy-consuming and non-polluting. We need to go back to nature in order to move forward. The Microbial Home is a proposal for an integrated cyclical ecosystem where each function’s output is another’s input. In this project the home has been viewed as a biological machine to filter, process and recycle what we conventionally think of as waste – sewage, effluent, garbage, waste water. Creating a cyclical eco-system

The Probe suggests that we should move closer to nature and challenges the wisdom of annihilating the bacteria that surround us. It proposes strategies for developing a balanced microbial ecosystem in the home.

Fig 41.1. VHM (2010). Microbial Home System [Project].

In the Microbial Home Probe we adopt a systemic approach to many of the domestic processes we take for granted and ask questions about how we deal with resources. It is a proposal for an integrated cyclical ecosystem where each function’s output is another’s input. We view the home as a biological machine to filter, process and recycle what we conventionally think of as waste – sewage, effluent, garbage, waste water.

Fig 41.2. VHM (2010). Microbial Home [Project].

The Interventions | 123

5.4.1 Intervention 3

Circular Production Reference #2 Beyond Plastic, Precious Plastic

We’re conceptualizing a collection, storage and pressing system that enables users to gather local food waste from both individual households as well as restaurants and cafes. We want to share what we’ve done so far and would love feedback from anyone who might have some ideas on how to improve this system. We’ve made some decisions based on resources available to us here in Eindhoven, but our goal is to create a concept for a workspace that could be easily recreated by anyone, anywhere. This being said, we’d love to hear new ideas or alternative solutions for what we’ve done so far

Collection Vessels This system would rely on participation from local people and food businesses. We decided on using glass jars as the main collection vessels to be dropped off and picked up by those who are keen to contribute. Many restaurants order their ingredients in glass jars and accumulate a decent amount to recycle or reuse. We tried about a dozen places until we found a few that were willing to save some jars for us in the coming days/ weeks. Using two jar sizes allow for controlled intervals between pick up and drop off in order to prevent organic matter from molding before entering the workspace. We sought smaller jars for household collection and medium jars for food businesses that produce greater quantities of waste regularly. These larger jars often contain pickled foods, olives, sundried tomatoes, etc. They were a bit harder to come by, but once we found some restaurants that agreed to save some for us, we had enough after a couple of weeks. The largest containers are for bulk storage of materials that a workspace may be used regularly and in large amounts.

Fig 42.1. Precious Plastic (2019). Beyond Plastic Workspace and Machines [Project].

We want this to be a space where makers can rely on local food waste streams to create and experiment with biomaterials, create products using a heat press and aluminum molds, and/or host workshops.

Fig 42.2. Precious Plastic (2019). Beyond Plastic Workspace [Project].

The Interventions | 125

Drop-Off Point The Drop-Off point is a physical structure that holds the jars and can be placed in a public space near the workspace. Some jars could have labels for specific materials a workspace would need/seek. People who live in the community could take a jar labeled with common specific food waste products, collect these materials at home and drop it off again once full. When dropped off, participating community members could easily swap it for a fresh empty one to continue collection. In order to prevent bio-scraps from molding, it would be important to choose the right size, but this is something that could be felt out once a workspace is up and running. The location of the drop-off point could vary from workspace to workspace: It could perhaps be on a neighborhood corner, placed in a busy square or next to the subway stop, or other places that get a lot of foot traffic or set up at weekly markets. This is something we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet tested, so we would love to hear any ideas on making this a practical drop-off point from the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end.

Dehydrator Most collected food waste coming in would probably still retain a bit of moisture. Materials need to be completely dry before they can be pulverized in preparation for pressing, so the next step would be spreading the scraps out in a dehydrator. Jannis and Zsofie made one here. It has a small heating element on the bottom, a small fan that circulates air from the top, and 10 racks.

Blending & Storage Once the bio-scraps have been dried out, they can be thrown into a blender to prepare for pressing as well as reducing in volume (we bought a blender on Marktplaats for 12 euros). The smaller jars are intended to hold less frequently used materials and experiment materials. The medium jars contain more frequently used materials in the workspace, and the largest containers, as mentioned above, are for storing bulk materials.

Pressing Once materials are pulverized they are ready for heat pressing!!! We left some space beside the heat-pressing station for handling hot moulds, cleaning moulds, and packing biomaterial products.

5.4.1 Intervention 3

Circular Production Reference #3 Fab City White Paper, Tomás Díez

Fig 43. DĂez, Tomas (2019). Fab City White Paper [Paper].

The Interventions | 127

5.4.2 Intervention 3

Online Workshop in Muraly with Remix El Barrio Imagine and draw the future of your project: Part A (do it before monday 6th) - What materials are you using? - How are they transformed? - What tools do you use? - Necessary knowledge and methodologies? - People who are involved and spaces? - The purpose of your project? - How is it degraded?

Use the icons, draw, write a text, add an image or a post-it and any other thing that you would like in order to describe how you would like to develop yourself and your circular project.

Fig 44.1. Tzika, Zoe; Freixas, Laura (2020). Preparation of the online workshop [Screenshot].

Part B (do it before thursday 9th) - Make connections between the projects of the different participants and also suggest new ways to explore or any recommendation that you think is convenient (if itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible use black post-its).

Zoe’s map about future materials in architecture.

Elisenda’s map about circular orange and wool fashion.

Josean and Silvana’s map about circular kids products.

Secil’s map about upcycling vegetable peels to make cookies.

Giorgia’s map about making natural inks from organic waste.

Fig 44.2. Tzika, Zoe; Freixas, Laura (2020). Online workshop in Muraly with REMIX El Barrio [Screenshot].

Laura’s map about compostable glasses and packaging.

Fig 44.3. Tzika, Zoe; Freixas, Laura (2020). Online workshop in Muraly with REMIX El Barrio [Screenshot].

5.4.3 Intervention 3

Reflection

How are urban ecosystems going to integrate these cyclical production systems? How could it be the biomaterial flow and microfactories of Poblenou?

___________________________________________________ Conclusion The third intervention is still in process of being developed by the participants of Remix El Barrio. In my case I’m interested in describing the future scenario of FabLab BCN and microfactories in Poblenou related to production and research of circular production of organic matter. I have started to define the scales of production and purposes of local systems:

Needs

Spaces

Tools

Kitchen

Fab Lab

Microfactory

· Small production · Personal Waste · Waste-Material-Product?

· Small-Medium production · Group of people Waste · Waste-Material-ProductDistribution?

· Medium-Large produciton · District Waste · Selling point? · Input of stakeholders*

· To collect & divide the waste · To prepare the material (clean, dry, boil, smash) · To store (cold, hot, normal temp.) · To transform the material · To create applications with the material · To control the drying process of the material · To store, pack and distribute the product · To compost or manage the discarded waste Molds, frames, syringe, 3D print, oven, crusher

Finally I would like to adapt and transform FabLab BCN in a Circular FabLab or microfactory for 2030. This intervention is still in progress.

Molds, frames, syringe, 3D print, oven, crusher, cnc, laser cut, thermoforming, dehyrator

Molds, frames, syringe, 3D print, oven, crusher, cnc, laser cut, thermoforming, dehyrator, heatable mold, press...

Designing in Emergent Contexts: Covid-19 Chapter 6 6.1 Covid-19 Scenario 6.2 My New Me 6.3 My New Design Space

Designing in Emergent Contexts: Covid-19 Fig 46. Freixas, Laura (2020). Chitosan Tests [Photo].

Designing in Emergent Contexts: Covid-19 | 137 6.1

Covid-19 Scenario

Poblenous begins Zero Waste Production Pilot

For this reason, we are starting a pilot called ORGANICS MATTER to upcycle organic matter inside the neighbourhood of Poblenou.

It’s the first day of 2021 and everyone is excited for this year to start because as of February 1st the quarantine is over. The past year with the appearance of the coronavirus COVID-19 the world order has completely changed.

ORGANICS MATTER is a microfactory where some of the industrial organic waste is collected to be upcycled in new compostable materials. At the moment they are starting with eggshells, seafood, coffee grounds, coffee peels and cellulosic plants as onions and garlics. The waste is collected once a weeb by the different bars, restaurants, coffee roasters, fishermen and industrial factories of Poblenou.

Through all the tragedy, fear and despair spread, in even the remotest places of the Earth, some rays of hope, that we now have a chance to change and fix anything that was broken with our world as we knew it before COVID-19 had emerged. New ways of living, more sustainable, and environmentally friendly centered arose. Ajuntament of Barcelona has explained in an official announcement that they want to be an autonomous and productive city in 2030 and for this reason they’re testing with local industries and companies. One of the oldest production areas of Barcelona: Poblenou, which in the last years has become the epicenter of creativity and innovation, will be a pilot neighbourhood of zero waste production in Barcelona. In order to achieve that, they asked from a group of Emergent Futures Designers, to propose 6 initiatives that would help achieve that goal. All of them are briefly described in these following pages. Circular Production of Organics Matter In 2030 we won’t have more new materials. We will have to reuse the existing ones and upcycle the organic waste to create compostable materials. Cities will be inspired by the cyclical mode of production and degradation of biological materials by organisms using limited energy and material resources found within localized conditions.

This microfactory is located inside FabLab BCN and has different spaces to prepare the upcycled waste: classification room, treatment with hot temperature and water, drying process, growing room, vacuum storage, crusher machine, mixer machine among others. Once the waste is prepared there are several tools that transform the material into an application through: cast ing molds, injection machine, extrusion machine, 3D paste printing, CNC, laser cutting, thermoforming and heating molds. At the moment ORGANICS MATTER is manufacturing compostable packaging for shops and industries. They are also starting to do research on food packaging. On the other hand, they have a brand called: made in Poblenou. This brand is made by local design studios that want to make small productions such as eyewear and lamps from biopolymers. Finally once the product has done its function, it can go directly to the home compost or in the garden compost and it’s transformed it into nutrients.

THE POST BCN

11 EDITORIAL : Circular Economy

t’s the first day of 2021 and everyone is excited for this year to start because as of February 1st the quarantine is over. The past year with the appearance of the coronavirus COVID-19 the world order has completely changed. Through all the tragedy, fear and despair spread, in even the remotest places of the Earth, some rays of hope, that we now have a chance to change and fix anything that was broken with our world as we knew it before COVID-19 had emerged. New ways of living, more sustainable, and environmentally friendly centered arose. Ajuntament of Barcelona has explained in an official announcement that they want to be an autonomous and productive city in 2030 and for this reason they’re testing with local

A special curated edition for a post corona world. 01.02.2021

POBLENOU BEGINS ZERO WASTE PRODUCTION PILOT industries and companies. One of the oldest production areas of Barcelona: Poblenou, which in the last years has become the epicenter of creativity and innovation, will be a pilot neighbourhood of zero waste production in Barcelona. In order to achieve that, they asked from a group of Emergent Futures Designers, to propose 6 initiatives that would help achieve that goal. All of them are briefly described in these following pages.

BARCELONA UNDER RE-USE During the Covid-19 pandemic the international imports and exports of products diminished to the basic ones. The countries are still trying to control what enters their borders and they have imposed cuts to the cargos by 90%. Although in the beginning the construction sector had paused almost completely, after the first month of quarantine some works had to start in order to cover needs that were appearing. Many spaces had to be re-adjusted for the new needs such as: apartments had to be rearranged in order to accomodate the home office, people started growing their own food and in some cases the neighbors of a building decided to make in common vertical gardens, hydroponique systems or roof gardens as collective food resources. Workshops started producing things that people needed locally, by 3d printing objects that were impossible to find, as a result of the restrictions of imports. Many local stores

focused on the repairing of objects rather than selling new ones, and others on the fabrication of customized ones according to what a customer would need. The materials that all of the above used had to be found locally, local Catalan wood was the main material of construction, reused materials from older buildings and many places turned to upcycling stations in order to find ways to recycle and create new materials out of waste. The efforts of the people have started focusing on how to reuse everything we have, rather than ordering new stuff, which is not economically feasible. Since the restrictions will start losing from the following month, the city of Barcelona is determined to keep the good practices of this period, by supporting these initiatives. All the construction is shifting in using only local materials and upcycled ones, repurposing spaces and producing only what we need in each neighborhood.

NO SINGLES HERE

arcelona, April 7th - In a news article in La Vanguardia in 2019, they stated that according to The Foundation for Waste Prevention and Responsible Consumption of Catalunya, Rezero, “Each Catalan [in 2018] produced an average of 509 kilos of waste per year.” (La Vanguardia, 2019). Rezero indicated that there was an increase in waste production attributed to the thinking of “There is a fictitious belief that the more we produce and consume, the richer and happier we are” (La Vanguardia, 2019). But this transition took a forced, faster pace during the coronavirus global crisis. During the pandemic, it became harder for the city government to pick trash because the virus was highly contagious. So, for a month and for the safety of the personnel and the citizens, the government had to shut down all the containers in the city and had to go back to the old method of selecting a different day in each neighborhood to pick up the trash of the gray, blue, yellow and green containers, every 2 weeks, while the organic trash of the brown container every week. Of course there was a big discomfort for citizens, as they had to live with their own trash for 2 weeks and 1 whole week with their organic

residues, but the Generalitat de Catalunya shared some “tips” about how to go through that month. The first tip was: ‘think and rethink about your grocery shopping and all the single-use packaging you will be throwing away right away’, this was for stopping the immediate generation of trash, the less waste you generated, the less waste you had to live with. That was the most important advice, followed by: ‘try doing a compost at home’, for the organic residues which were the most difficult to “live with”. The first 2 weeks citizens were freaking out, especially because they realized the real amount of trash they were generating, they started to turn their consumption attention from ‘everyday brands’ that used single-use packaging, to bulk stores in their neighborhoods (because during quarantine you could not go far from home) and bulk stores online. The next 2 weeks they kind of got used to it, but the decrease in waste generation was not significant. The real challenge came when the quarantine had to be extended for at least another month. At the end of the first month citizens realized that the need for reducing waste was a priority, not just for the environment itself,

but for them, as they were the ones sharing their own, private space with trash. That is when the real change happened. The second month showed important decreases in waste generation and it seemed most of the people were getting comfortable with bulk stores, getting their own containers and not having to buy single-use containers that were not at least compostable anymore. After the quarantine, citizens demanded more regulations for bulk selling and buying, gaining terrain from those “normalized” brands that were so strong before but did not care about the damage they were doing to the environment. The government started to work on the regulations because the citizens demanded it, certain types of packaging were penalized and brands had to adjust to the new regulations, gaining the consumer’s trust again slowly. That is how, as of today, Catalunya has reduced its waste production by 4.3% since the COVID emergency, and the result of everyone (citizens, government and companies) working together for a better good. Right now, the next step could be designing containers that can be used for different brands or different product types and a system to return them to be cleaned and pick up a “new” one for groceries.

BREAKING THE 1:9:90 - TOWARDS THE TRUE NEW NORMAL

lot of things have changed in the past year. We have seen some all-time highs and some deep lows. We see a new balance now. High death rates but low healthcare capacity, high debts and low markets, high temperature and low pollution in cities. High screen times, low travel time. Some of these were unimaginable, some were considered unreachable. The way we live our lives now are highly designed by the times of corona. Unprecedented, capitalism has cracked and is allowing for a more distributed network of making things. This practice is however

limited, at the individual level - like making and growing of food. Communities have come together virtually to make and distrubute in novel ways, more complex things - even medical equiptment! Knowledge sharing is abundant and the . Participating in production has made people more mindful of their consumption habits. Daily consumables, food are made in communities. A lot of people in the world turned vegetarian, when they were challenged to kill their animal before they eat them. Hunting remains a right of passage to eat meat. Clothes, and construction are crafted

at a local level. These things take time, because everything is produced by order, so as to keep no waste inventory. People therefore plan their need in advance, and therefore buying things on a whim is no longer a practice. Some new industried have started popping up - comfort or needs have different, their own places. The Adjuntament has now declared the 22@ innovation hub of Poblenou, as a test ground for picking up the right things. Fab City is no longer an initiative, it is now who we are - self sustainable, collaborative, equal producers as consumers.

THE POST BCN

12 A special curated edition for a post corona world.

EDITORIAL : Circular Economy

01.02.2021

CIRCULAR PRODUCTION OF ORGANIC MATTER

n 2030 we won’t have more new materials. We will have to reuse the existing ones and upcycle the organic waste to create compostable materials. Cities will be inspired by the cyclical mode of production and degradation of biological materials by organisms using limited energy and material resources found within localized conditions. For this reason, we are starting a pilot called ORGANICS MATTER to upcycle organic matter inside the neighbourhood of Poblenou. ORGANICS MATTER is a microfactory where some of the industrial organic waste is collected to be upcycled in new compostable materials. At the moment they

are starting with eggshells, seafood, coffee grounds, coffee peels and cellulosic plants as onions and garlics. The waste is collected once a weeb by the different bars, restaurants, coffee roasters, fishermen and industrial factories of Poblenou. This microfactory is located inside FabLab BCN and has different spaces to prepare the upcycled waste: classification room, treatment with hot temperature and water, drying process, growing room, vacuum storage, crusher machine, mixer machine among others. Once the waste is prepared there are several tools that transform the material into an application through: cast-

ing molds, injection machine, extrusion machine, 3D paste printing, CNC, laser cutting, thermoforming and heating molds. At the moment ORGANICS MATTER is manufacturing compostable packaging for shops and industries. They are also starting to do research on food packaging. On the other hand, they have a brand called: made in Poblenou. This brand is made by local design studios that want to make small productions such as eyewear and lamps from biopolymers. Finally once the product has done its function, it can go directly to the home compost or in the garden compost and it’s transformed it into nutrients.

“We’ve already got enough stuff out there, We’ve extracted enough resources from our planet, and We just need to circulate those resources around,” - sara arnold

DO YOU REMEMBER?

nce, clothing was a pure necessity, protecting our naked bodies against environmental conditions and cruel weather, covering our fragile and intimate areas. Since the industrial revolution, fashion has become a synonym for cruelty, human gluttony, status and insanity. The fabrics made mainly of extracted oil have choked up the planet as they smudged the filthy black stains on all living and nonliving compounds of our nature. The innocent little black dress hanging in your wardrobe is unfortunately no exception. Coronavirus has arguably committed a vast damage on human lives however, it has also blessed us with medicine for addiction and forced the doors of retails to shut and speed of production lines to pause. It has blessed us with time to reflect and with bravery for committing huge systemic changes required by the urgent situations. “We need to take a similar approach in facing climate emergencies and we need to address and cut the unnecessary out of the system. Coronavirus has shown us the world keeps rotating even without fashion production wheels. The epidemic has given us a sample of a vibrant green world caused by radical cuts in production, ” says Paloma Wool representative from Associació Moda Sostenible. Months after the quarantine, various movements have emerged, aiming to cut the production of clothing to a

bare minimum. Associació Moda Sostenible Barcelona has become the leading movement in Spain. In collaboration with Ajuntamento Barcelona, Ateneu de Fabricacio and FabLabs, they achieved complete shutdown of a stream of unsustainable fabrics into the city and brought up a new system with an approach of designing for scarcity. Circular economy is now not an option, it is becoming the new normal. “We’ve already got enough stuff out there, we’ve extracted enough resources from our planet, and we just need to circulate those resources around,” Paloma Said. Therefore the vision of the new system consists of purely biodegradable fabrics, produced from citizens organic waste (which is where main research currently is), 3d printed items and upcycled items. The popular option for parents has became the 3D printed origami extendable clothing for children in growth process. Ateneu Fabricacio has came up with the new system of algorithmic up cycling allowing for personalisation from existing stock limited and optimised through the use of as little material as possible. This shifted the production methods to purely on-demand-production. Minimalism and post-consumerism will be the new normal, bringing hopeful treat for never-ending dissatisfaction of the old materialism. Do you remember fast fashion?

ALL THE THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND

t has now been a year since COVID-19 entered our lives, and more than nine months since the whole planet has been on quarantine. During this time, the way our society functions has drastically changed. The way we consume and learn, the way we work, how we exercise, the way we manage our health, how we socialize, and we communicate adapted to a new status quo. This crisis was a tough ordeal for humanity as a whole, but through our struggle to overcome it, we have emerged stronger and equipped with new ways and ideas to run our society more humanely and respectfully. Coronavirus, like climate emergence, is partly a problem of our economic structure

which is not environmentally sustainable. Although both appear to be “environmental” or “natural” problems, they are in reality socially driven. It has now become clear that uncontrolled human intervention in the ecosystem results in creating unbearable conditions for humanity itself. However, the counter crisis measures have also shown that when working together, humanity through discipline and the strength of human will, can find new ways to overcome not only these harsh conditions but also correct the mistakes of the past. The conditions that we lived in during the quarantine indicated that it is not just necessary but also possible to decrease movement and transfer of humans and

goods to the needed. This has inspired new environmental legislation that will permanently restrict car movement, both personal and commercial. From now on, each family will be allowed to have only one car strictly. This will enhance the already huge shift in production of cars as well as car consumables that would now decrease dramatically. Vast stockpiles of new, low priced car tyres, will add to the ones we already have. For that reason, IaaC is working on new ways of collecting tyre crumbles and powder, and through sustainable and environmentally friendly processes -such as injection moulding or 3d printing- turn them to useful base material for the fabrication of much-needed products.

Fig 46. Tzika, Zoe; Restou, Ergina; Barankova, Natalia; Parikh, MItalee; Garduño, Elsa; Freixas, Laura (2020). Future Scenario after Covid-19 [Newspaper].

6.2

My New Me

I took everything I could from the Barcelona flat and took it in my wheeled suitcase. Instead of taking clothes, I took the things that could be most useful for my personal project of MDEF and Fab Academy. In Barcelona I had to leave mycelium samples and some of the ingredients I was using for the project.

At first I was a little shocked by the new routine: online classes, online meetings, online corrections, online group work... There were weeks that I spent more than 20 hours in front of the computer doing online video conferences. Luckily we have been able to rest a few weeks from so many video conferences and it seems that this third quarter the online interaction will be a little more controlled. At the moment, my work routine consists of doing about 8/10 hours a day of work from Monday to Friday and looking to disconnect on weekends. Another important part of my routine is looking to get 1 hour of exercise a day, sunbathe if possible and eat less quantity and healthier ingredients. I really miss running and hiking in the mountains and making plans with my friends. Fig 47.1. Freixas, Laura (2020). Collage of my new me during Covid-19 [Photo].

This situation we are experiencing was not within our plans. It seems incredible how things can change in less than a month. When I heard the news about Wuhan, I saw the situation very far away and thought that I was not going to make it to Europe. But it came and in what way! The week of March 9 to 13 we lived it with much uncertainty and unknowns about what was going to happen. I realized that until after Easter I would surely not be able to return to Barcelona, â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x2039;and that has been the case, but it seems that it will last longer.

Designing in Emergent Contexts: Covid-19 | 141 6.3

My New Design Space

Fig 47.2. Freixas, Laura (2020). Collage of my new design space during Covid-19 [Photo].

My Kitchen

oil vinegar

water

oven

My Desktop

molds

fresh air clock

pens glasses

soap

blender syringe

induction

water computer

paper

chair

cutting mat

grinder

My Workspace Right now the workspaces and social interaction have been transformed and everything happens at home. Luckily I can change my workspace and this helps me focus more. There are days that I feel like reading articles or writing from my bed, then I go to my desk all morning and in the afternoon I move to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;workshop / kitchenâ&#x20AC;? space where I do tests with the materials and tools I have at my fingertips. Who was going to say that the Master in Design for Emergent Futures we were going to do it from our own home.

molds

plastic

Mapping My Domestic Experimental Laboratory

MDEF + FAB ACADEMY

REMIX

LOCAL COLLABORATIONS

BARCELONA HOME

IAAC

Trying compostable glasses

Experimenting at home

Lessons in class

Remix Experimenting

Taking coffee waste

Preparing mycelium

Secil & Zoe 3D printing

Remix Meetings

Planning to mill a mold

Collaborating with Judith

FabLab Machines

Remix Tools

Laser and CNC cutting

Sterilizing mycelium food

Electronics

Mycelium Samples

Taking coffee waste

Growing glasses in a mold

FabLab

Remix Meetings

Secil & Zoe 3D printing

My flatmates

People

Materials

Tools

Interactions

Knowledge

Spaces

Infrastructre

Before Covid-19

Designing in Emergent Contexts: Covid-19 | 143

Mapping My Domestic Experimental Laboratory

ONLINE MDEF + FAB ACADEMY

ONLINE REMIX

“ONLINE” LOCAL COLLABORATIONS

OLOT HOME

My desktop

My workspace

My kitchen

Online Lessons

Remix Experiences

Blue City Lab Webminars

My project

MDEF Meetings

Remix Meetings

Jess & Pop-machina

Jesse MA CSM

MDEF Mighty Network

Remix Workshop on Muraly

Blender machine

Plants from Òria

Plants experimentations

Group 2 Design Dialogues

Remix & AbonoKm0

Exploring packagings

Instagram

People

Materials

Tools

Interactions

Knowledge

Spaces

Infrastructre

During Covid-19

Hyper Local / Glob Intervention Chapter 7 7.1 Growth Plan 7.2 Map of interactions & Collaborations 7.3 Fab City Full Stack 7.4 Circular Product 7.4.1 Case Study #03: Òria Cosmètica 7.4.2 Òria Plants & Wood 7.4.3 Reflection

7.5 Controlling Composta 7.5.1 DIY observat 7.5.2 Water Solub 7.5.3 Soil Compos 7.5.4 How does co 7.5.5 Compost be 7.5.6 Typologies o 7.5.7 Conditions o

bal ns

ability tions at home bility stability omposting work? enefits of compost of composting process

7.5.8 Plastics suitable for home composting 7.5.9 Abono Km0 7.5.10 Reflection 7.6 Organic Matters 7.6.1 Social Feedback 7.6.2 Material Platform Forms 7.6.3 Reflection

7.1

Growth Plan

Term 2 & 3 Interventions