In the slum of Chorkor near Accra's Kantamanto market, Ghana, over 15 million used clothing items arrive weekly. This plight afflicts the community living in a constant state of housing insecurity exacerbated by government evictions.
Due to the government's failure to offer alternative housing, residents are unable to invest in upgrading their homes. This lack of stability directly contributes to their reluctance to improve dwellings, typically made from discarded materials and rusty metal sheets.
TextileRefuge
Turning fast fashion waste
into affordable housing.
TextileRefuge is a innovative system that converts textile waste, mixed with lime, into bricks suitable for building affordable housing. Our aim is to diminish the environmental impact of discarded textiles in developing countries, while also improving living conditions and generating employment opportunities.
TEXTILEREFUGE@GMAIL.COM
Technology
Dimensions
Trasmittance
Weight
Compressive strength
Reused garments / Brick
60 x 30 x 25 cm
0,35 W/m2K
20 kg
8 MPa
5 kg
System
TextileRefuge System aim to reduce the environmental impact of textile waste, while ensuring house security and providing job opportunities.
A TextileRefuge village, capable of hosting a small community of 50 people, recovers and recycles around 73 tons of textile waste, an impressive amount equivalent to about 6 containers full of clothing that would otherwise end up in landfills or be incinerated, further polluting our planet. A single village costs about 48,000 euros.
WHY?
Enviromental
Issue
Each year, the fashion industry churns out over 100 billion pieces of clothing, resulting in a staggering 92 million tons of waste. Sadly, much of this waste finds its way into economically disadvantaged nations, particularly in places like Ghana. The system is developed to address the issue of fast fashion in slums, where clothes, otherwise destined to be burned or discarded on the ground, cause severe enviromental damage.
Eviction
Issue
In the slum of Chorkor near Accra's Kantamanto market, Ghana, over 15 million used clothing items arrive weekly. This plight afflicts the community living in a constant state of housing insecurity exacerbated by government evictions.
Due to the government's failure to offer alternative housing, residents are unable to invest in upgrading their homes. This lack of stability directly contributes to their reluctance to improve dwellings, typically made from discarded materials and rusty metal sheets.
In collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, we are experimenting an innovative brick that utilizes textile fibers from discarded garments mixed with hydraulic lime. This innovative brick allows for the creation of load-bearing structures while offering excellent thermal insulation and fire-resistant properties.
About
We are a team of four students graduated in IED, product design. United by our passion for social design and the exploration of innovative materials, we strive to create impactful solutions through experimentation and creativity.
From the left: Carola Castiglione, Giacomo Frova, Mattia Cappiello, Mattia Macciachini
TextileRefuge
Turning fast fashion waste
into affordable housing.
TextileRefuge is a innovative system that converts textile waste, mixed with lime, into bricks suitable for building affordable housing. Our aim is to diminish the environmental impact of discarded textiles in developing countries, while also improving living conditions and generating employment opportunities.
Technology
In collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, we are experimenting an innovative brick that utilizes textile fibers from discarded garments mixed with hydraulic lime. This innovative brick allows for the creation of load-bearing structures while offering excellent thermal insulation and fire-resistant properties.
Dimensions
Weight
Trasmittance
Compressive strength
Reused garments / Brick
60 x 30 x 25 cm
20 kg
0,35 W/m2K
8 MPa
5 kg
System
TextileRefuge System aim to reduce the environmental impact of textile waste, while ensuring house security and providing job opportunities.
WHY?
Each year, the fashion industry churns out over 100 billion pieces of clothing, resulting in a staggering 92 million tons of waste. Sadly, much of this waste finds its way into economically disadvantaged nations, particularly in places like Ghana. The system is developed to address the issue of fast fashion in slums, where clothes, otherwise destined to be burned or discarded on the ground, cause severe enviromental damage.
Enviromental Issue
Eviction Issue
A TextileRefuge village, capable of hosting a small community of 50 people, recovers and recycles around 73 tons of textile waste, an impressive amount equivalent to about 6 containers full of clothing that would otherwise end up in landfills or be incinerated, further polluting our planet. A single village costs about 48,000 euros.
About
From the left: Carola Castiglione, Mattia Cappiello, Giacomo Frova, Mattia Macciachini
We are a team of four students graduated in IED, product design. United by our passion for social design and the exploration of innovative materials, we strive to create impactful solutions through experimentation and creativity.
KEEP IN TOUCH!
TEXTILEREFUGE@GMAIL.COM
IMPACT OF A VILLAGE