Wolfwall
Useful information
- Team members
- Alessandra Tuseo
- Country
- Italy
- Keywords
- eco-sustainable insulation circular economy going circular dog fur eco friendly green living sustainable building materials alternative building material eco design recycle eco friendly insulation
Short Description
Eco-sustainable thermal-phono insulation material derived from canine fibers
Detailed Description
The purpose of the research is to create an eco-sustainable material, which can be used both in construction and in product design, through the processing of the fibers obtained from the undercoat of dogs.
Twice a year dogs go through molting, the process through which the undercoat is shed. Annually in Italy at least 115 millions of kilos of undercoat would be naturally produced and wasted.
The processing of these fibers involves the use of the same machinery as for the rest of the textile fibers: the fur is washed, dryed, carded and needle punched to reach the desired thickness.
Testing has demonstrated that the felt possesses hypoallergenic properties, highly performing thermal characteristics and great sound absorbing capacities.
Wolfwall allows to breathe new life in a wasted resource, as well as promoting a correct eco-sustainable approach of upcycle, integrating itself in the tight relations between technology, enterprise and consumers as a potential green-oriented competitor.
Project Details
- Does your design take social and cultural challenges and human wellbeing into consideration?
As all dog and pet owners know, the shedded fur can become a problem both because of its quantity and the difficulty it provides for disposal; Wolfwall not only provides an answer to this problem transforming what is to date considered waste into a valuable resource, but it also grants the possibility for everyone to partake in the creation of an eco-sustainable alternative which places its roots at the very inside of our homes and lives.
- Does your design support sustainable production, embodying circular or regenerative design practices?
Wolfwall tackles the challenge of making the most out of a material which, as to date, is considered waste, transforming it into a resource, all the while maintaining a high and improved level of performance as opposed to traditional materials. The processing of these fibres involves the use of the same machinery as for the rest of the textile fibres, so it doesn’t require for large investments or effort to be introduced to the market.
- Does your design promote awareness of responsible design and consumption?
Wolfwall provides an answer to what is to date considered a problem, since the large amounts of naturally shedded fur that is each year produced has proved to be of difficult disposal and has not been successfully introduced into any recycling chain. At the same time by proposing itself as not only a green oriented alternative but a real competitor to traditional materials in both construction and product design, it promotes a correct eco-sustainable approach of upcycle as well as awareness of responsible design.
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