Waste | Materials | Community

Drawing from their collective experience across the fields of Material Innovation, Fashion, Architecture, Textile Design and Design Entrepreneurship, Adele Orcajada and Purva Chawla of MaterialDriven, and Lesli Robertson, present this hands-on workshop. The workshop is the first of multiple educational, online classes for those who are curious to understand new materials and discover their potential. The session intends to equip academics, professionals and students with the tools needed to source, make, and employ materials differently, in environmentally and community-oriented outcomes.

The most promising materials today are rooted in alternative sourcing, drawing from waste–be it agricultural, food, industrial, or construction waste–to create valuable products. Waste, in this context, encompasses both the residues and byproducts of production, and materials that are unwanted or considered unusable at their origin.

Products created via the transformation of waste are strategically delivering solutions to some of the most pressing issues we face today–resource scarcity, economic hardship, environmental pollution, our growing carbon footprint and challenges to health and wellbeing. Equally, the most impactful materials are embedding themselves in regional or local communities, and emerging from the vernacular knowledge, specific challenges and solutions which are distinct to such communities around the world.

To create effective materials then, which can evolve from concept to market ready products, a dual awareness is needed–of physical, economic and environmental factors on the one hand, and human and cultural factors on the other.

Workshop Agenda

• Presentation by MaterialDriven and Lesli Robertson Studio (30 mins)
• Break (5 mins)
• Making Exercise: Orange Peel Bio Composite (30 minutes)
• Break (5 mins)
• Design Thinking and Making Exercise: Manipulating Bio Composites (30 minutes)
• Q&A (15 mins)
• Wrap up and next steps (5 mins)

You will need for the workshop:

• A device with a web-camera, installed with Zoom

• Ingredients: Orange Peels, Corn Starch, Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Sage or Thyme, Water and Sodium Bicarbonate. (Optional: Turmeric Powder, and Coffee grounds)

• Tools: Stove, Saucepan, Stirring spoon, Measuring cup and spoon, Balance (if possible), Scissors, Mortar and Pestle or Hand Blender, Silicone moulds (optional), Baking paper

All participants will be provided a full list of the ingredients and recipes for the two making exercises, no later than one week prior to the workshop. They can follow along to the live demonstrations during this workshop and will also be provided with links to reference videos to continue their experimentation after the workshop, and in their own time. Participants will also receive a PDF with both MaterialDriven and Lesli Robertson’s presentations.

Workshop Level: Introductory

Creatives and materials enthusiasts from all professions and stages of their careers are invited to participate.

For any questions, do contact:

MaterialDriven:

Purva Chawla and Adele Orcajada

purvac@materialdriven.com and adele@materialdriven.com

www.materialdriven.com; Instagram @materialdriven

Lesli Robertson Studio:

leslihrobertson@gmail.com

www.leslirobertson.com; Instagram @leslirobertson