chair rehab
A chair leg fabricated from recycled PLA plastic
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This project was conceived of for the “Build your own factory” class taught by Dave Marin at Parsons School of Design, which is based on the work of Dave Haakens and the Precious Plastic project (see preciousplastic.com for more information).
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This is a simple project to test the boundaries of this process and open up possibilities of using waste plastic in lieu of more traditional materials like wood for both product/furniture design or larger architectural/interior applications. It requires less time/energy than 3D printing processes, can be achieved using inexpensive DIY equipment, and large-scale objects/building materials can be created. As a wood replacement, it can potentially alleviate deforestation and other inherent detriments of using lumber using an existing waste material. It is incredibly strong, resilient, and water proof. Using plastic in this way keeps it out of the waste stream and gives it a new, permanent purpose in enduring objects. I believe it has incredible potential as a building material.