Upcycling: sustainable design as an ally of the environment

Upcycling is a concept that is not exclusively related to interior decoration or design , but there is no denying that architecture has appropriated the method that has worked wonders both for its aesthetic power and for its care for the environment and nature. For Christian Ullmann, CR+IED Brasil Project Coordinator and one of the creators of the Movimento Lixo Invisível ( @lixoinvisivel ), "all materials and products can be 'reused'. This is an old practice – everyone has heard of a old iron, a patchwork quilt or the act of passing the crib to the new brother or cousin who is arriving – this practice has always existed in the industrial sector and even in the home itself". The translation of the term reflects its meaning very well: " reuse ". To work with this method, it is necessary to break the paradigm that garbage must be in the landfill and see it with different eyes. Furthermore, getting your hands dirty and being creative at every stage of the process is essential. "Upcycling does propose recycling, but increasing the value by creating new 'surprising' pieces to make better use of all the natural wealth, the material itself used, the energy used to manufacture this product/material and especially the time that was necessary", says Ullmann.

What is Upcycling, anyway?

The term Upcycling emerged in 1994 and became popular in the United States in 2002 with the creation of the book Rethinking The Way We Make Things (in the free translation " Create and Recycle Unlimitedly" ). This is a practice that aims to reduce waste that would spend years in a landfill or dump, to give it a new form. According to Ana Borba, a civil engineer who has been creating objects with waste since 2004, and also founded Lixiki ( lixiki.com.br ), Upcycling is not only related to what can be seen in a project , but is also about the coatings used in the composition. "Not all reused materials need to be highlighted, many can be invisible, if you make a subfloor for a room by reusing the rubble from a wall from the building itself, this is a creative reuse of a material", says Borba. Unlike recycling, which reuses specific materials – such as glass, paper, plastic and metal – Upcycling is a technique that aims to explore the flexibility of these parts to transform them into completely new ones . In practice, while the recycling process returns the material to the market with the same function it originally had, Upcycling invests in creativity to give new meaning to the raw material in an innovative way.

CASACOR projects that invested in Upcycling

One of CASACOR's most relevant pillars is sustainability, which is taken seriously by the company and its team of professionals as well as the partners involved. For Giuliana Mantovani, electrical engineer and Chef at Movimento Lixo Invisível, the biggest challenge of all is being able to combine elegance and upcycling: "Sophistication and elegance are given by the product created and not just by the material."

You know that bike that got old and you don't know what to do with it? Taking the opportunity to use it in decoration can be a creative idea that, in addition, contributes to the environment. The idea by Carla Carla Grüdtner , from Studio 33 , for CASACOR Paraná 2019 reflects this with a good dose of style. For the industrial atmosphere of the composition, the bicycle fit like a glove. Are travel bags a problem because they take up a lot of space? Take a look at how this project gives a new function to this item so characteristic of travel lovers. Estúdio do Viajante was exhibited at CASACOR Rio de Janeiro 2019 by Diego Raposo and enchants with the contrast of a rustic element in a clean decor. The environment practically tells the story of a tourist experience, with several elements that convey a feeling of comfort and perfectly match the theme. Teaching children about the power of recycling and also developing their creativity in an unusual way was the proposal from the Messa Penna office with the Children's Suite project, shown atCASACOR São Paulo 2019. The composition featured various upcycled materials, such as recycled plastic bags , which were used by the office to create colorful pieces of art . Both the bed and the rug were created with nautical rope macramé , which in the future can be reused for a new function. The swing was also handmade with the same material. Estúdio da Mulher Contemporânea mixed contemporary and antique pieces to achieve a vintage style . Leading the project, Marcela Peppe invested in vinyl records to create the decor. The idea brings a super laid-back atmosphere to the environment that was exhibited at CASACOR São Paulo 2019 . A project that, from start to finish, is like a true dive into the ancient heritage of the country's primitive communities and, on top of that, contributes to the environment. Gustavo Neves created Casa Sumê Espaço Conectado LG for CASACOR São Paulo 2019 with materials that were discarded by the industry and gained a new function in the space. The result was surprising. An example of how Upcycling was present in the composition is in the lamp, whose stems had as raw material the stem of a palm tree collected by the architect himself on the street, after a storm that detached it from its trunks. [April-see-also]W3siaWQiOjEwNzgzMSwidGl0bGUiOiJMYXJlaXJhIGVjb2wmI3hGMztnaWNhOiBjb21vIGNvbnRyaWJ1aXIgY29tIG8gbWVpbyBhbWJpZW50ZSBub3MgZGlhcyBmcmlvcz8if Sx7 ImlkIjoxMDc2NTAsInRpdGxlIjoiMTcgYSYjeEU3OyYjeEY1O2VzIHN1c3RlbnQmI3hFMTt2ZWlzI GRhIENBU0FDT1IgUyYjeEUzO28gUGF1bG8gYmFzZWFkYXMgbmFzIHByZW1pc3NhcyBkYSBPT LUifS