beyond the use
cascading use of paludi materials
beyond the use is a concept for cascading use of plant-based materials from paludiculture, a form of cultivation for rewetted moors. The process is illustrated by two objects: a stool made from reeds, which is charred after its use phase, and a table made from the resulting biochar. Carbonisation in the absence of oxygen binds the carbon in the organic material for the long term. After the second phase of use, the biochar is crushed and added to the soil, where it serves as a nutrient and water reservoir for plants. The stool and table are intended as seasonal furniture for gastronomy, markets and events, both indoors and outdoors. The objects support paludi regions and encourage the responsible use of plant-based materials.
student: | Lisa-Marie Halwax & Emil Löber |
project: | The Plant Project – Resilience Part II |
year: | 2024 |
The project beyond the use questions the handling and consumption of plant-based materials. Plants are renewable, but they still require water and nutrients, and their harvest is an intervention in ecosystems. After the initial use of plant-based materials, they should not be considered just as compostable but as valuable resources for further applications. The concept beyond the use proposes multiple uses for plant-based materials. As a scenario, the concept focuses on plants from paludiculture and their further processing into biochar. Paludiculture is an agricultural practice for re-wetted peatlands. The goal is to maintain the climate-relevant functions of the peatlands while utilizing the above-ground biomass. Plants that can cope well with high water levels, such as reeds, peat mosses, cattails, and sedges, are cultivated. In dealing with biochar, we discover that reeds and cattails have a high carbon content and are therefore very suitable for charring. Through pyrolysis, the carbon from the plant material is bound long-term, creating an effective CO2 sink. The materials are examined for the concept: We produce biochar ourselves and test the pyrolysis of reeds, cattails, and sedges. Furthermore, we explore various processing possibilities for the materials and binders in the form of flat material samples (10×10 cm). We translate these findings into three-dimensional objects. Our goal is to design two different objects that visualize the possibilities and properties of the materials and present them in an application. As a representation of the cascading use of plant-based materials, we build two objects on a 1:1 scale: a stool made from reeds, which will be charred after use, and a table made from the resulting biochar.
This requires mold construction and a fabrication in several steps. For the stool, reed stalks are cut, the offcuts shredded, and pressed together with casein glue to form the seat. The created stool is due to the natural binder water-resistant and can be charred as a whole. For the table, the biochar is ground into a fine dust, blended with casein glue to a homogeneous mass, and compacted layer by layer in a press mold, similar to the rammed earth technique. After several days of drying, a water- and abrasion-resistant surface is created. The objects are intended as seasonal furniture for gastronomy, hotels, markets, and events. Through the objects, the regional change in agriculture is reflected in the urban landscape and a new approach to plant-based materials is encouraged. The production of the furniture requires a network of actors who process paludi-materials, as well as a charring facility. This structure should also be used for processing paludi-materials as building materials and their subsequent use. Furthermore, nutrient-rich soil can be produced with biochar, thus replacing peat, which is extracted from peatlands. beyond the use is a material study, a regional system proposal, and a suggestion for a responsible approach to plant-based materials.
