MA Eco-Social Design: Project 2 by Despoina Tzirou, Gabriela Miteva, Michelangelo Lamonaca | SS 2021
OIO is an exhibition design project developed with FieraMesse BolzanoBozen. The proposal reinterprets tradeshows by providing a modular, reusable, adaptable booth, introducing a circular system in contemporary fairs.
Trade-shows play a vital core in the commercial activity in South-Tyrol. Every year thousands of exhibitors choose fairs to promote new products or services and attract consumers. But what happens after exhibitors and visitors leave and the lights are off? Have you ever witnessed the amount of waste generated by a three-day fair? 60 tons of wood scrap per year! 90,000m2 of moquette per year! What would change if we could reduce the waste, reuse materials and approach trade-shows with a different mentality by designing multifunctional components? Shifting mindset is the first step towards change.
The focus fields of our research were sustainability, materials, structure and case studies.
As far as sustainability is concerned, we tried to complete the frame by finding information about the aspects that, according to us, define the term. We studied about the environmental impact of the fairs and the amount of waste produced, collected information about the origin of raw materials, the energy consumption and how a construction can be sustainable. Finally, the inclusion of the social factor and strategies that could be implemented in order to engage the local community were included in our sustainability research.
The materials were another struggle we had to face. We wanted to include local providers that could supply us with materials with the right properties and fire classification or in cases the materials needed additional treatment, we wanted to propose actors that could take over this task. Our next step was exploring the concept of life cycle analysis and understanding why and how every decision could have a great impact on the life cycle of our design. To conclude the research on that field we mapped initiatives that offer solutions to the management of the waste produced, through recycling or upcycling.
Students:
Despoina Tzirou, Gabriela Miteva, Michelangelo Lamonaca
Teaching Team:
David Calas (Object–Spaces–Services)
Kris Krois (Communication–Interaction–Services)
Secil Ugur Yavuz (Design Research)
Marie Beuthel (Social Interaction Design)
Partner:
FieraMesse BolzanoBozen:
Thomas Mur (Director)
Sabine von Pretz (Assistant General Manager & Projects)
Christian Micheli (Head of Technical & Event Services)
Mattia Vecchioni (Technical & Event Services)
Emilia Taraboi (Brand Manager)
Anna Baldo (Projects Manager)
Supporters & Stakeholders:
Thomas Moosbrugger (Mechanics of structures - Wood Engineering)
Eva Bauer (Materials workshop)
Curzio Castellan (Photography workshop)
Valentin Riegler (Carpentry workshop)
Markus Fischnaller (Carpentry Workshop)
Roland Verber (Digital modelling workshop)
Cristian Micheloni (Lighting support)
Antonio Lamonaca (Lighting support)
Aart van Bezooijen (Life cycle assessment)
Davide Ferrando (Exhibit design)