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Puma reveals results of Re:Suede experiment to make biodegradable shoe

Sportswear brand Puma has said it is a step closer to launching a truly biodegradable shoe, following a trial in which a specially made version of its Suede sneakers decomposed under strict conditions.

In the Re:Suede experiment, 500 shoes were sent out to testers for six months of wear. Of those shoes, 412 were returned to Puma and sent to an industrial composting facility in The Netherlands, where they were mixed with other green waste and left to biodegrade.

After around three and a half months, a large proportion of the leather trainer had broken down sufficiently to be sold in The Netherlands as Grade A compost – a high-quality compost typically used on gardens and landscapes.

Slowing things down was the sole, which in the Re:Suedes was made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE-E), a type of rubber. It took longer than the other components to break down into small enough pieces to be classified as compost, around six months.

The Re:Suede shoe was designed with biodegradable materials

Puma is calling the Re:Suede experiment “successful” – with caveats. The longer timeframe required for the soles to break down is a deviation from standard operating procedures for industrial composting, so the shoes could not just be thrown into a household food waste collection.

However, Puma is hoping to launch a commercial version of the sneaker next year, incorporating a takeback scheme that would see it compost the shoe using its tailor-made process.

“While the Re:Suede could not be processed under the standard operating procedures for industrial composting, the shoes did eventually turn into compost,” said Puma chief sourcing officer Anne-Laure Descours.

“We will continue to innovate with our partners to determine the infrastructure and technologies needed to make the process viable for a commercial version of the Re:Suede, including a takeback scheme, in 2024.”

Photo of Puma's Re:Suede biodegradable sneaker showing a cream-coloured version of the common Suede sneaker — Its leather upper was found to decompose under industrial composting conditions

In a report of the experiment’s findings, Puma said it would pursue a “new business model in composting” that could support the decomposition of the shoe.

“The soles slow the process down, resulting in more composting cycles required to turn the shoe into Grade A compost, meaning they can’t be processed using today’s standard industrial composting operating procedures,” said the report.

“But with a new business model in composting and a higher volume of input into it, those standard operating procedures can change,” the report concluded. “There is a future for Re:Suede. To get there, we need more scale.”

Puma’s Re:Suede shoe is made of Zeology suede, which is tanned using a process based on zeolite minerals and free of chrome, aldehyde and heavy metals. Padding and laces are made of hemp, while the lining is made of a hemp-cotton blend.

For the composting process, Puma partnered with Dutch waste company Ortessa. The procedure involved shredding the shoe and placing the pieces into a composting tunnel – a unit where the temperature, humidity and oxygen levels are kept at optimal levels for bacteria to break down organic matter.

For the decomposing shoe granules to be considered small enough for compost, they had to be under 10 millimetres in size.

Those granules were periodically filtered out and sold as compost in The Netherlands.

The leftover pieces, 10 to 40 millimetres in size, became part of the “compost starter mix” and were combined with more green waste to continue decomposing. Ortessa estimated that the full shoe was turned into compost within approximately six months.

The rubber outsole took longer to break down into compost

Re:Suede is Puma’s second attempt at launching a compostable shoe, with the first coming over a decade ago in the form of 2012’s InCycle collection.

Its Basket sneaker, which Puma said was fully compostable through industrial composting, was made of organic cotton and linen with a sole composed of a biodegradable plastic called APINATbio. The range was discontinued in 2014 and its failure blamed on poor consumer demand.

While several shoe designs have been marketed as biodegradable in recent years, the strict conditions required for them to actually break down are often not specified or the infrastructure not available. This can be seen as a kind of greenwashing.

Brands that have launched footwear described as biodegradable include Bottega Veneta with its sugarcane and coffee boots and Adidas with the uppers of its Futurecraft trainers.

A more experimental composition came from German designer Emilie Burfeind, whose compostable sneakers are made with a mushroom mycelium sole and a canine hair upper.

Reference

Interior Design

Shaw Contract reveals the winners of its 2023 Design Awards

By Zarkon Group,19/10/2023

A hotel overlooking a Japanese castle and a neurodiversity-friendly office building are among the winners of Shaw Contract’s 2023 Design Awards, revealed in this video produced for the brand by Dezeen.

Global flooring company Shaw Contract recognised five winners in the 18th edition of its Design Awards, which celebrate impactful living, working, learning and healing interior spaces around the world.

In total, five Best of Globe winners were chosen by a panel of design professionals from 39 regional winners, which had been narrowed down from over 650 project submissions from 40 countries.

The winners include architecture studio Tatsuro Sasaki, which won an award for its OMO5 Kumamoto by Hoshino Resorts hotel built on Mount Chausu in Kumamoto City, Japan.

The hotel is located in the city centre overlooking Kumamoto Castle and is nestled in amongst the landscape to blend in with its surroundings.

Shaw Contract reveals Naelofar Office by Swot Design Group as one of the winners of its 2023 Design Awards.

Four workplace designs were also recognised, including Boston Consulting Group’s headquarters in Toronto designed by HOK.

The office features ample open spaces to flood it with natural light and is equipped with circadian lighting to follow people’s natural rhythms and improve productivity.

Another winner was the 345 North Morgan office design by Eckenhoff Saunders, which is located adjacent to Chicago’s metro tracks. The design of the office was informed by classic railway stations and draws from the neighbourhood’s rich industrial history.

Boston Consulting Group's headquarters in Toronto designed by HOK — Shaw Contract reveals Boston Consulting Group Canadian Headquarter by HOK as one of the winners of its 2023 Design Awards.

Other winners include Swot Design Group’s Naelofar Office in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, which was designed to foster relationships and collaboration in the workplace.

It features meeting rooms with operable glass panels that can be rearranged to open up spaces for functions such as training sessions or events.

Rezen Studio’s Newmont office in Subiaco, Australia also received an award, which Shaw Contract described as an example of “the rapidly evolving office typology which responds to the changes in which businesses are operating”.

Rezen Studio's Newmont office interior in Subiaco, Australia — Shaw Contract reveals Newmont by Rezen Studio as one of the winners of its 2023 Design Awards.

“We believe that design has the power to shape the world around us and create a better future for both people and the planet,” said Shaw Contract.

“That’s why the Shaw Contract Design Awards programme is so important to us. It allows celebration of the designers who share our commitment to creating a positive impact in all interior spaces.”

Each winner was awarded a £2,000 USD charitable donation in the name of their studio to an organisation of their choice. They also received a trophy designed by Singapore-based artist Kelly Limerick using recyclable Shaw Contract’s recycled yarn.

Find out more about all of the winners on the Shaw Contract Design Awards website.

Partnership content

This video was produced by Dezeen for Shaw Contract as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Reference

Interior Design

Apple reveals Battersea Power Station shop as latest “evolution of the store”

By Zarkon Group,15/06/2023

Technology company Apple has unveiled its latest Foster + Partners-designed store in the recently revamped Battersea Power Station in London, which features updated fixtures and furniture.

Set to open later today, Apple Battersea is the brand’s 40th UK store and represents an evolution in its retail design thinking with more of an emphasis placed on accessibility and sustainability.

“We developed this material palette and this fixture set that is really trying to align with like Apple’s goals,” said Bill Bergeron Mirsky, a global retail design lead at Apple.

“This material palette is new for us, it’s an evolution of the Apple Store,” he told Dezeen.

Apple Battersea by Foster + Partners — Apple Battersea opens today

Designed by UK studio Foster + Partners, the store is set on the ground floor of the shopping centre within the 1930s Turbine Hall A at the former power station, where the studio also designed the technology brand’s offices.

The shop is arranged around four original brick piers and has steel roof supports exposed on the ceiling. On top of this base, Foster + Partners overlaid a revamped fixture set that Mirsky said “will become familiar over time”.

Apple Battersea is the second store – after the recently reopened Tysons Corner store in the USA, which replaced Apple’s first ever store – to feature the redesigned fixtures.

Around the edge of the store is an oak framework of shelving that was developed with Foster + Partners. The timber structure also defines a space dedicated to watches, a pick-up area and a redesigned Genius Bar.

The Genius Bar has a counter for stand-up service along with a lowered area where people can be served sitting down. Along with its standard Parsons tables, which are made from sustainably harvested European oak, the store also has several lowered tables.

Updated Genius Bar — The redesigned Genius Bar has a lower counter

“We’ve thought about mobility issues across the whole fixture set,” explained Mirsky. “We have our traditional Parsons table with our standard height, but you notice that the tables in the back are varied and our new genius bar as well.”

“We have a standing height because the team really prefers to stand and it lets them work with more people and then they can stand at the tables, but customers who want to sit or need to sit can actually use these slightly modified tables,” he continued.

As part of the focus on mobility, Apple also increased the amount of circulation around the edge of the store.

Tables in London Apple store — There is more space around the edge of the store

Along with the timber framework, Apple aimed to replace other more carbon-intensive elements in the store with biomaterials.

The floor, which was first used in the Brompton Road store, was made from aggregates bound together with a bio-polymer, while the acoustic baffles in the ceiling were made from biogenic material.

The acoustic baffles and bright floor form part of a focus on improving visual and acoustic clarity in the store, with a dark band placed around the base of the walls to provide visual differentiation with the flooring.

“Something I want to point out that is really part and parcel of the material palette, but also goes to our universal design, is the contrast in the store,” said Mirsky.

“We wanted to make sure we have this really enhanced kind of navigation,” he continued. “So the floor is brightened – it helps us with our low energy – but it also makes it so that you can clearly see the table and the walls are defined.”

Pick up space in Apple Store — The store has a dedicated pick-up corner

The fixture set, flooring and ceiling baffles were also used at the Tysons Corner store and Mirsky believes the base can create a feeling of familiarity for Apple’s customers.

“Each store is really dealt with as a unique circumstance Battersea has this incredible, incredible existing architectural fabric to work in,” he said.

“We use the same fixture set at Tysons Corner in a mall setting in America which doesn’t have this sort of grand grandiose architecture, but the same fixture set can generate an environment that’s very familiar and welcoming no matter where you are.”

The store is the latest to open in London, following the Brompton Road store that opened last year, which was designed to be a “calm oasis”. Other recently completed Apple Stores include the band’s first shop in India and a store in Los Angeles’ historic Tower Theatre.

Reference

Sustainable News

Design of the Workplace report reveals sustainability is “non-negotiable”

By Zarkon Group,08/06/2023

Promotion: companies that prioritise sustainability in their office design are preferred by workers according to a report commissioned by developer Brookfield Properties and architecture studio Foster + Partners.

Named Design of the Workplace, the report reveals that 93 per cent of people working in an “environmentally friendly office” feel happier in their job. It was also found to boost workers’ productivity and wellbeing.

Exterior of Principal Place at dusk — Brookfield Properties and Foster + Partners have released a report on sustainable office design

“The workplace of the future is about creating spaces that support a greater range of activities and diverse working practices while focusing on wellbeing and offering people a sense of community,” said senior partner at Foster + Partners, Dan Sibert.

“Allied to this is a thorough analysis of the building’s carbon footprint – both operational and embodied carbon.”

Natural ventilation and lighting important

The publication, which surveyed more than 3,000 office workers in the UK, was released by Brookfield Properties and Foster + Partners at the Ecocity World Summit conference.

Participants said a sustainable workplace design means having good quality air and natural ventilation, as well as natural lighting and recycling facilities.

However, a fast internet connection, effective heating control and adaptable desks and chairs were also important factors to employees.

Installation at Ecocity World Summit — Brookfield Properties and Foster + Partners are showcasing a co-designed workspace installation at Ecocity World Summit

“Since Covid-19, every aspect of the building design needs to show how it impacts human health,” said Foster + Partners deputy head of workplace consultancy, Grant Kanik. “Workers, particularly younger workers, want to know what the air filtration systems are like, they want to know what the fresh air return rates are.”

“They want to understand their lighting systems, not only if they are energy efficient, but also if they are healthy. Basically, they simply want control over their environment. And that is what buildings should deliver,” he continued.

Material reuse should be considered

According to Design of the Workplace, if factors such as natural lighting and recycling facilities are not considered in a workplace, happiness levels drop to 55 per cent.

Three in 10 office workers who participated also said they would consider leaving their job if their company were not committed to sustainability. However, as many as 65 per cent of office workers were unaware of their office’s carbon footprint, with 75 per cent wanting to know more about it.

Team also showcasing workspace installation

Foster + Partners deputy head of workplace consultancy Kanik said longevity is also key.

“There’s the inherent sustainability of a building – the carbon embodied, the design and the energy consumption that goes into our design parameters as a matter of course now. But I think real sustainability goes beyond that, it’s about longevity,” he said.

Alongside the report, Brookfield Properties and Foster + Partners are showcasing a co-designed workspace installation at Ecocity World Summit.

Woman sitting at desk — The installation includes new “climate-forward” products by Foster + Partners

The installation includes new “climate-forward” products by Foster + Partners that will later be used at Brookfield Properties’ own workspaces.

“Design of the Workplace and our workstation installation at the Barbican in collaboration with Foster + Partners reflects the feedback from our occupiers and office workers generally,” said Brookfield Properties’ executive vice president, Dan Scanlon.

“There is a strong desire from companies and individuals to understand the carbon footprint of their workplace, and importantly how they can make meaningful reductions and deliver upon their own ESG goals.”

To download and read the report, visit Brookfield Properties’ website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for Brookfield Properties as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

Reference

Interior Design

Boyy flagship in Milan reveals layers of the store’s history

By Zarkon Group,23/05/2023

Danish artist Thomas Poulsen, also known as FOS, has revamped the flagship store of accessories brand Boyy in Milan, keeping time-worn surfaces left over from the site’s former fit-outs.

This marks the third time that FOS has refreshed the space on Via Bagutta since 2021, as part of the artist’s plan to create a dynamic “evolving” store.

Interior of Boyy flagship store in Milan designed by FOS — FOS has redesigned Boyy’s flagship in Milan

In its first incarnation, the Boyy flagship had funhouse-style mirrors, walls draped in faded pink fabric and cobalt-blue carpets emblazoned with everyday objects.

This colour scheme was inverted for the second iteration of the store featuring blue walls and bubblegum-pink carpet. Elements of both of these schemes now remain in the store’s third and final form, which was left purposefully unfinished.

“This space was an experiment in formulating a shared language for how Boyy could develop as a brand,” FOS explained.

“We started by creating an installation – the first rendition – then used that experience to create a second installation, and finally built upon the combined experience to create this final permanent space that we have now arrived at.”

“We always envisioned the third rendition as the final act,” added Boyy co-founder Jesse Dorsey.

The Boyy flagship now has walls panelled with the same grey ceppo stone that clads the store’s facade.

Some areas were left without panelling, revealing the aged, fabric-lined walls left behind by a previous occupant – a 50-year-old antique shop that sold quaint Americana-style objects for the home.

Blue fabric can also be seen hanging in the rear corner, saved from FOS’s second overhaul of the space.

These swathes of time-worn fabric were enclosed inside aluminium window frames, as were some of the store’s display units.

Elsewhere, Boyy’s selection of shoes and handbags can be showcased in several illuminated glass vitrines or on the ledge that runs around the periphery of the store.

FOS also created a display shelf around a crumbling structural column that sits in the middle of the floor plan.

A couple of tiered, sea-green bench seats were dotted throughout the store as decoration, complementing the flecks of greens stone that are found in the terrazzo floor.

Milan is home to an abundance of visually striking retail spaces.

Others include the Moschino flagship, which was designed to reference the history of ancient Italy, and the Off-White store, which is decked out with natural materials like Patagonia granite.

Reference

Architecture

OMA’s first residential tower in miami ‘the perigon’ reveals its sunlit interiors

By Zarkon Group,09/11/2022

interior designer tara bernerd works with oma

Sited proudly along the sparkling waterfront of Miami Beach, OMA‘s diamond-shaped residential high rise ‘The Perigon’ reveals a first look at its sunlit interiors. Fit for its exclusive, resort-minded location, the luxury tower will boast hotel-style amenities private to owners to blur the line between condominium and resort. Evoking the atmosphere of a five-star hotel, the interiors have been designed by Tara Bernerd, a renowned hospitality designer who has shaped iconic spaces from Belgravia to Vienna.

The architecture itself will take shape as an array of nesting towers, each rotated to enhance views for all residences toward the Atlantic Ocean. See designboom’s previous coverage here.

the perigon: warm, welcoming, and sophisticated

Curating the amenities of The Perigon, interior designer Tara Bernerd looked to the masterful architecture by OMA. Arriving to the building, residents are welcomed by a grand and inviting lobby with honed white travertine flooring showing a diamond pattern, a nod to the project’s distinctive footprint, an Italian stone finish connecting with the natural textures which are recognized throughout Miami.

The design team sought an atmosphere which is warm, organic and bright, while at once evoking the sophistication of the European Riviera — a design choice which draws from the future residents’ many seaside travels.

‘We envisaged the residents at The Perigon to be well travelled, design-savvy and highly cultured,’ said interior designer Tara Bernerd. ‘We have created interiors that speak to the architecture of the building, with a conversation between interior and exterior design, that would appeal to this individual and their penchant for an international design sophistication. The amenity collection epitomizes this ethos, with finishes and furnishings chosen to evoke a refined relaxation, so that it truly is a destination in and of itself.’

inside the miami beach tower

The amenities which have been revealed as part of the first look at OMA’s The Perigon are located along two levels and include a highly anticipated spa. These spaces will be finished with a combination of materials and fabrics selected both for their authenticity to the area and their connection to sought-after natural environments.

A billiards room was designed by Tara Bernerd as a refreshing, mature approach to a game room. The warmly lit space is located just off the lobby and features a floor-to-ceiling glass interior wall to invite participation and spectatorship. The building’s signature diamond pattern is repeated here via its clever wood flooring. The sunrise lounge and hospitality kitchen stay consistent with the building’s soft and natural color palette, with light wood paneling and a dramatic stone bar for entertaining and private events.

With views over Miami Beach, an awe-inspiring indoor-outdoor conservatory doubling as a breakfast lounge and terrace stands apart as one of the most hotel-like amenities at The Perigon by OMA. Residents will start their days in the serene, dedicated space, where a barista will be available upon request to serve hot or iced coffee to a resident’s liking. The staff at The Perigon will always ensure that every owner’s ideal daily morning routine, from reading the local paper to enjoying sunny-side-up eggs, will be realized.

The wine room and garden on the building’s south side is another unique space inspired by serenity, with views overlooking the property’s waterfall garden. The space will keep nearly 450 bottles of the most refined wine selections in stock and will offer storage services to residents with their own prized collections. A top sommelier will be on hand to host private tastings both at the bar and in the garden, while a celebrated chef will design a variety of pairing menus depending on the season.

‘When we first launched The Perigon, our buyers were struck by the tower’s remarkable design that is seemingly afloat above lush gardens,’ said Camilo Miguel, Jr., CEO of developer Mast Capital. ‘The architecture’s slender columns, soaring lines and wraparound terraces maximize the indoor- outdoor experience, and we had a clear vision to use this additional space to bring resort amenities and experiences into the condominium setting.

‘With reservations successfully converted to contracts, and incredible demand for the limited remaining inventory, we’re proud to reveal how The Perigon’s amenities are as impressive as the residences themselves, and a true extension of one’s home. The amenity collection will cultivate a community for private owners to enjoy this enriched everyday lifestyle together; with every need being met by a team of butlers and expert concierges ready to make any request a reality.’

Reference

reveals

Puma reveals results of Re:Suede experiment to make biodegradable shoe

Shaw Contract reveals the winners of its 2023 Design Awards

Apple reveals Battersea Power Station shop as latest “evolution of the store”

Design of the Workplace report reveals sustainability is “non-negotiable”

Boyy flagship in Milan reveals layers of the store’s history

OMA’s first residential tower in miami ‘the perigon’ reveals its sunlit interiors

interior designer tara bernerd works with oma

the perigon: warm, welcoming, and sophisticated

inside the miami beach tower

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