Architecture Students Will Celebrate Forgotten Objects

Contact: Gabrielle Maxey
901.678.2843
gmaxey@memphis.edu

April 22, 2015 - Students in the University of Memphis Department of Architecture's first-year Fundamentals of Design Studio course have been exploring the importance of sustainable design by upcycling plastic bottles. To meet their Sustainable Schools Challenge goals, they have partnered with Clean Memphis and Campus School. A second partnership with the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Sustainability is helping them demonstrate public awareness about sustainability issues such as recycling and reusing.

There will be an opening celebration for the project, "Forgotten Objects: Recycled Design" Re-Imagining the Plastic Bottle, April 29 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at 77 South Main (at the corner of Main Street and Union Avenue). The event will provide a chance to honor the students and community partners for their hard work.

As part of the partnership, Campus School students held a challenge to collect enough plastic bottles for the project. The architecture design students took recycled plastic bottles, bags and utensils and began reconstructing them into unique objects that transform space. "Through a series of investigations, the design students created physical gestures and artwork, generated story narratives, selected musical compositions, and collected data on the recycled items by generating data logs capturing waste diversion rates and bottle characteristics," said Jenna Thompson, assistant professor of architecture and interior design and sustainability coordinator for the Department of Architecture. Using this research and exploration, the students also will produce a film and art installation.

For more information, contact Thompson at jlthmps5@memphis.edu.