FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Students show how ‘upcycling’ is done

Students show how ‘upcycling’ is done

Onyx Group awards scholarships in Arts for the Planet ecocampaign

STUDENTS in Kasetsart University’s “Scrap Lab” recently earned scholarships worth a total of Bt110,000 from the Onyx Hospitality Group after winning awards for their ecologically minded designs.
Group president and chief executive Peter Henley presented the students with the scholarships and trophies as part of its “Arts for the Planet” project, which aims to demonstrate the potential of “upcycling” – finding new uses |for cast-off materials – and to |foster innovative ways to tackle the waste issue.
Onyx collaborated with the non-governmental organisation Tlejourn and the Scrap Lab, which is part of the Faculty of Architecture at Kasetsart and incorporated the project into its curriculum. 
The students spent weekends learning about waste-management issues and were directly involved in cleaning up a canal and other activities. They then experimented with ways to develop useful products from waste material under the supervision of Associate Professor Singh Intrachooto, head of the Creative Centre for Eco-design and the Scrap Lab’s founder, and Dr Nattapong Nithi-Uthai, founder of Tlejourn, which makes footwear out of ocean debris. 
Funding and other support |for the programme came from |Kiat Siam Leatherware, Hawaii |Thai Furniture and ERP. The |students visited the companies’ |factories to learn how their |designs might find practical |business applications.
Four of the eight teams were selected as the winners by a reviewing panel.

Students show how ‘upcycling’ is done

Piphat and Chawanlapa took the top prize with their “Beep Beep” plant pots and candleholders.

The Best Design Award was presented to Piphat Thongta and Chawanlapa Darachart for their “Beep Beep” plant pots and candleholders fashioned from sponge, synthetic rattan, dacron, wood, aluminium and concrete. Each student received a scholarship worth Bt40,000.

Students show how ‘upcycling’ is done

Seksit Pakdee and Guillaume Bichon won the Inspiring Design Award with a range of “Fantasteak” items including this chair.

The Inspiring Design Award was given to Seksit Pakdee and Guillaume Bichon for their Lego-inspired “Fantasteak” chair, desk lamp and photo frame made with plastic boards, bottle corks, teak and leather scraps. Each received a Bt30,000 scholarship.

Students show how ‘upcycling’ is done

A Creative Design Award went to Nutkritta Nilkamhaeng and Lucie Lauwerier for their “From the Bin to the Sky” kites.

Creative Design Awards went to two teams. Nutkritta Nilkamhaeng and Lucie Lauwerier’s “From the Bin to the Sky” kites in various shapes were created with rope scraps and drinking straws. Marie Le Gouellec and Pattanayu Thongloi’s “Metisse” wall partitions were comprised of scrap rubber sheets and foil. The members of both teams received scholarships worth Bt20,000.

Students show how ‘upcycling’ is done

Marie Le Gouellec and Pattanayu Thongloi also won a Creative Design Award for their “Metisse” room partitions.

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