Hasta La Ideas

Andes Mountains

On our way to Santiago de Chile, our travel guide informed us that Chile is considered to be one of the least sustainable countries in the world, indiscriminately using its natural resources to improve economic growth and often allowing foreign companies to do all the exploiting. Ironically, our very first request by email to give a lecture and workshop came from Santiago de Chile where Duoc University just started a new course for designers focused on sustainability.

Besides thinking about the pros and cons of Chile’s environmental policies, today’s thoughts are captured by the deep valley we see from our bus window. Is our bus driver’s penchant for speeding into the hillside curves with reckless abandon due to his poorly developed sense of fear or a demonstration of his driving skills? We hope it’s the latter.

Notes during an exciting bus trip through the Andes
South America Experience Continued

After our experience in Brazil, we (Aart and Paula) continued our travels to Argentina. Known internationally as the birthplace the tango and described as the “most European” city in South America (among other designations), Buenos Aires piqued our curiosity. With the help of the Metropolitan Design Center, we have been preparing for a week of interviews focused on sustainability in materials and design to be broadcast to Germany. Meanwhile, a private university in Chile contacted us to prepare a lecture and demonstrate our first do-it-yourself bioplastics workshop in South America. It seems like a lot of interaction is coming up.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

Metropolitan Design Center

Our stay in Buenos Aires was anchored by a one-week schedule of interviews with local designers at the Metropolitan Design Center, or (in local parlance) the CMD (Centro Metropolitano de Diseño).

The CMD was founded in 2001 to develop creative programs and projects in order to get the necessary financial support from the government. Instead of being a purely aesthetic pursuit, design is taken seriously and considered a tool for economic, ecologic and social change. One of the best examples is demonstrated by the Metropolitan Design Center itself, which is situated in the Barracas district. Barracas is the kind of district where locals warn: “Don’t go there at night…” The city of Buenos Aires strategically located the design center here in a beautifully renovated fish market to improve the local welfare and establish design-related enterprises in the southern area of Buenos Aires.

The CMD is based in a historical fish market with lots of space (14.000 m2)

Paula discussing the interview schedule at the CMD with project manager Gloria Ayerza

Live From Buenos Aires

Most of the designers we interviewed are participating in an incubator program that offers free housing and business support for young designers during their first year(s) while they start up their business. It was interesting to discover how the designers we talked with work with sustainability in different ways. For instance, some focused on materials (i.e. reusing industrial waste) while others tried to improve local manufacturing or addressed sustainability in the education of children. Also, many design studios were inspired by earlier workshops focused on materials such as bamboo or silk which were organized by the CMD. A live-connection broadcasted our interviews directly at the Materials Cafe, a special event during this year’s Hanover Fair in Germany.

Visitors at the Materials Cafe in Germany, photo by Daniel George

Interview with Constanza and Gabriel from design/architecture studio Gruba

Silent Green

During our week of interviews, we experienced how easy it can be to share sustainable ideas overseas while learning how hard it can be to transport your thoughts to a workshop next door. For instance, Pomada told us that manufacturing items from reused materials is more expensive than having items made from new materials because the local workshops don’t see the economic benefits of reuse. One of the most inspiring interviews took place with Diseñaveral, an industrial design studio that does not use sustainability quotes and labels. By choosing not to use branding that says “green” or “eco” they hope to reach a bigger audience (instead of only the fanatic LOHAS audience) with their products. Even though their design process includes a lot of sustainable thinking, the focus of their communication is about a quality product. We appreciate this kind of “silent green” approach, which is more likely to surprise customers about the product’s sustainable qualities after its purchase (not in advance such as many green/eco labels).

Interview with Leandro and Maximiliano from studio Diseñaveral

Interview with Bruno and Antonela from Pomada

Learning to Love the Mate

Even though we enjoy the typical European culture of coffeehouses, in Argentina we started loving the mate. Mate is probably the most sustainable practice we spotted in Buenos Aires. Unlike green-labeled foods, drinking mate is a phenomenon that doesn’t wear the label of “being green” but demonstrates how sustainability can be rooted in culture (probably without even realizing it). The coffee-to-go service we know in Europe is frustrating for us due to the wasted cups we spot in many streets and parks. The art of drinking mate is a common social practice among people of all ages. Mate is about bringing your own dry leaves, a hollow gourd with metal straw, thermos with hot water and sharing a single cup with your friends. We experienced this bring-it-yourself approach of sharing mate as simply great and we are sure nature loves its zero waste.

Mate is enjoyed among people of all age

Paula enjoying mate served in its typical gourd and metal straw

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