This waste prompted my partner and I to start designing and building projects with their next lives in mind. With this process taking place at the start of a project, choices about materials and assembly are part of the pieces rather than an after thought of what to do with it later. In some cases, this simply means making the project from waste its self to try and offset the use of new and virgin materials.

The following projects were created based around the reuse of materials that were either headed to the landfill, or were already in the trash to begin with giving another life to materials and hopefully being able to repurpose them after for other projects.

Coco En Forma
Material Exploration ⋅ Design

With constant power outages in the area effecting both the electricity and running water, we wanted to be able to create this material with out having to rely on having power. Using a non-electric gas stove and water directly from the ocean, we were able to bypass those issues.

On the beach near the property, a seawall made of large rocks had been erected in order to deal with rising water and tides associated with global climate change. In the day time, in the direct sun, temperatures would reach an average of around 40ºc, heating and getting stored within the rocks. We used this to our advantage in order to quickly dry the material so that mold growth would not happen in this very humid environment, as well as use the disinfecting properties of the sun along with the lime to help kill any harmful bacteria.

The Coco material was then formed over easily found objects (a Fanta bottle and a piece of the sea wall) to form usable objects such as a bowl and light shade.

With more time and resources, our goal is to create an easily made biodegradable material that could be used to help curb the waste that litters both the ocean and land. It would help with not only the garbage of the area, but could be an alternative to purchasing certain items in an area with little to no disposable income.

Nike AirMax 2090
Material Innovation ⋅ Installation ⋅ Design

The main structure is an ‘integrated marble’ — a mixture of materials that were headed to landfill (sawdust, wood chips, acrylic offcuts and fibres, construction debris, and a pair of old Nike shoes) within a gypsum cement. Inspired by the Reuse-A-Shoe program, an old Air Max shoe was ground down and used as a filler for this newer material. With the addition of these reused materials, we were able to offset the amount newer material that was used and turn waste into art without it being visually apparent.

The Acrylic LED lit fins mimic the ridges and lines on the heel of the Air Max 2090 and Air Max 90. Cut through the centre of the fins is an air gap in the shape of the iconic Air Max bubble.

The round shapes are an homage to the many ball sports Nike is essential to, and humanity's search for a future life on another planet.

The stand is a hexagon, one of nature’s strongest and most efficient shapes. It’s made from reclaimed hardwood flooring similar to that found in most gyms; a nod to the history of sport.

Knot On My Planet - Holt Renfrew
Art Direction ⋅ Installation ⋅ Design

Another Life is a giant skeleton of a tusk, designed and created with Nicole Charles, inviting viewers to walk inside and tie fabric onto its structure, communally building this piece. The engulfing size of the tusk is a nod to our society and planet — we are living in it and have the power to affect it

We approached Another Life as a community project. It is made of over 90% waste and repurposed materials in an effort to create an eco-friendly and socially conscious piece with minimal waste.

This project is made possible by working with the local companies listed below and repurposing their scrap material:

Well and Good (wood, workspace)
Relative Space (flooring)
Notion Manufacturing (fabric)
Avery Plewes (fabric)
Kotn (fabric)
Holt Renfrew (fabric)

Dweller
Sculpture
WB04

Dweller was a small sculpture is made from mixture of  75% waste construction debris from Toronto’s addiction to destroying and rebuilding. As the city is loosing its beautiful brick buildings filled with character to tall glass, concrete and metal monotonous condos, I wanted to make something that was always looking back at those structures that have been lost.

Each Dweller was hand cast with the bricks of the past causing no two to be the exact same.

While working in the world of installations, productions and events, the amount of new materials that are used for a single purpose and then sent to waste is astonishing. We have become accustom to not giving things a second life because it is usually faster and easier to get rid of the "used" and buy new. 

Coco En Forma
Material Exploration ⋅ Design

MATERIAL 01:  Coconut husk
MATERIAL 02:  expired lime
MATERIAL 03:  Maizena
MATERIAL 04:  ocean water
Project Code:  wb05
YEAR:  2022

With constant power outages in the area effecting both the electricity and running water, we wanted to be able to create this material with out having to rely on having power. Using a non-electric gas stove and water directly from the ocean, we were able to bypass those issues.

On the beach near the property, a seawall made of large rocks had been erected in order to deal with rising water and tides associated with global climate change. In the day time, in the direct sun, temperatures would reach an average of around 40ºc, heating and getting stored within the rocks. We used this to our advantage in order to quickly dry the material so that mold growth would not happen in this very humid environment, as well as use the disinfecting properties of the sun along with the lime to help kill any harmful bacteria.

The Coco material was then formed over easily found objects (a Fanta bottle and a piece of the sea wall) to form usable objects such as a bowl and light shade.

With more time and resources, our goal is to create an easily made biodegradable material that could be used to help curb the waste that litters both the ocean and land. It would help with not only the garbage of the area, but could be an alternative to purchasing certain items in an area with little to no disposable income.