2026-27 Capstone
“The development of plastics from the mid-nineteenth century to the present has profoundly changed the materials of our physical world. As plastics inundated the home, workplace, and every industry and profession, they also found their place as a material for the creation of art" Plastic has become a
2026-27 Capstone
“The role and relationship of furniture in architecture and space design are of great relevance. Designers such as Eileen Gray, Alvar Aalto, Mies Van der Rohe, and Verner Panton conceived furniture —primarily stools and chairs— that endure over time as powerful and timeless elements, with a determining impact on the
2026-27 Capstone
“For decades, our society and the development of our built environment have been strongly associated with intensive extractive processes. While these methods were fundamental to the growth of urban areas, they also laid the groundwork for significant challenges that contemporary generations face today. Nowadays, construction debris accumulates on the peripheries
2026-27 Capstone
“Can you imagine being able to prototype a piece of furniture at the touch of a button and testing it in just a few hours? This might become a common practice sooner than we may think. Fueled by material innovation, automation and cutting-edge technology, a new era in home
2026-27 Capstone
“In the architectural conversations we are having in today’s world, conversations on materials are widespread. There is discussion on the viability of concrete in the contemporary context, how timber can be more sustainably sourced, and on how biodegradable materials such as bamboo should be more common sights in our
Business
“Natural resources, and the materials derived from them, represent the physical basis for the economic system. Recent decades have witnessed an unprecedented growth in demand for these resources. This has triggered interest from policymakers in transitioning to a more resource efficient and circular economy.” “Circular supply models replace traditional material
2026-27 Capstone
“The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) in Cape Town is Africa’s first industrial symbiosis programme. Initiated by the Western Cape Government, now funded by the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality, and delivered by the non-profit GreenCape, WISP helps businesses identify new opportunities to exchange resources. Since
Business
Using cycle couriers and electric vehicles, De Clique collects food by-products like coffee grounds, orange peels and other food waste from businesses. Collected as pure waste streams, these by-products are then sold on by De Clique to third party innovators and product manufacturers, who transform them into new
Business
“Industrial symbiosis (IS) is a collaborative approach concerning physical exchange of materials, energy, and services among different firms: accordingly, wastes produced by a given firm are exploited as inputs by other firms. This approach is able to generate economic and environmental benefits at the same time, the former for the
Business
"Yarn producer, Aquafil has designed the ECONYL® Regeneration System, which enables Nylon 6 waste to be regenerated into new Nylon 6 with no loss of quality. Key to success is the Reclaiming Programme, an essential tool to facilitate a reverse supply chain and ensure reliable materials inputs. Aquafil Group
Science & Tech
In the recent century, polymeric materials experienced a surge in popularity in the electrical and electronic equipment industry (EEE) due to their natural insulator properties. Consequently, the waste from the EEE industry, namely electronic waste (e-waste), grew as old appliances were replaced by newer ones [1]. According to a
2026-27 Capstone
This study consisted of an investigation of the thermo-mechanical properties of post-consumer high impact polystyrene (HIPS) through five consecutive injection moulding steps to simulating the recycling cycles. The selectively collected HIPS residue was ground, washed only in water, dried, agglutinated and then moulded as a set of mechanical