Trend Forecast
Body Neutrality
Respecting Our Cycle of Life
Our bodies are things to be celebrated.
Humans are engrained in the health of our planet, but year after year we produce plastic that pollutes our land and waterways. 380 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, only 20 percent of it being recycled. The plastic items that we know today were born out of necessity. Plastics have transformed the modern age of medicine, cars, equipment for clean drinking water, and even space travel. The problem arises when a single-use item is thrown out. After hours or even minutes of use, the plastic item is tossed into a landfill and remains unable to naturally break down until hundreds of years later, resulting in pollution.
The question arises; how do we limit the waste?
Visual Positioning Board
Sustainability
The answer is biodegradable plastics.
Sustaining life is at the core of the Lifecycle carpet collection. PHA plastics are a bio-based and biodegradable polyester that break down completely in water and soil. PHA's are biosynthesized by a bacterium fed by inexpensive oils. These oils are derived from the seeds of plants such as canola and soy. PHA plastics can be used to create a plethora of items such as medical implements, food packaging, glues, and more importantly, yarn fibers.
Mohawk's collaboration with Danimer Scientific will enable the manufacturing of PHA carpet fibers that are created in a closed-loop cycle. The Danimer Scientific manufacturing company is one of the few companies in the world to achieve such high levels in sustainability in their biopolymer manufacturing process. Danimer's manufacturing uses sustainably sourced canola oil, and their toxin-free extraction and extrusion process are cost competitive and leave little to no carbon footprint.
Design Concept
"Ghostcatching"
Keeping in mind that body neutrality focuses on what the human body can do, I chose to create a carpet pattern that represents basic human movement. Mohawk's fractals collection also served as a source of inspiration for this collection. Each of Lifecycle's carpet tile designs are variations of the work Ghostcatching by artists Paul Kaiser and Shelley Eshkar. By editing the scale of the photo, I used differing scales of each body movement pattern to create a carpet tile design that can be arranged in many different patterns. These patterns can be used to create general visual interest or to enhance space way-finding and indicate touchpoints.
Lifecycle carpet will be made out of extruded PHA plastic made into fibers. The cut-loop style used in each of the designs creates a varying texture between the base color and the pattern, giving an added layer of depth to the already dynamic design.
Mohawk X Danimer Lifecycle Collection
Specifications
Manufacturer: Mohawk Flooring
Tile Dimensions: 24"x24"
Fibers/Materials: PHA Fiber
Construction: Multi-level loop
Dye Method: Solution dyed
Pile Height: 1/2 inch
Backing: EcoFlex Matrix
Installation Methods: Monolithic, Vertical Ashlar,
Brick Ashlar, Quarter Turn, Multi-Directional
Application
Renderings are shown in various healthcare locations.
