Topics
We organise our actions in six thematic & strategic agendas:
Strategic Agendas:
Bio-economy
Circular Construction
Chemicals/Plastics
Manufacturing Industry
Food Chain
Water Cycles
Seven leverages provide additional support:
Leverage effects:
Lever Policy Instruments
Lever Circular Procurement
Lever Communication
Lever Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Lever Financing
Lever Jobs & Skills
Lever Research
What, why and how?
Why are we pursuing a circular economy?
Future visions 2050
How do we see our circular future?
About our management
Who steers what at Flanders Circular?
WOOD-DESIGN
Sustainable design with wooden by-products
With the WOOD-DESIGN project, BOS+, Flanders DC and Hout Info Bois want to initiate collaborations between designers and wood processing companies. In this way, we hope to offer designers more insight into the wood processing process and make them think of concrete, alternative uses for woody residual flows.
We selected five wood-processing companies willing to participate in the project, namely IDE Woods, Cohout, forestry operator Marc Goossens, Thys Hout and Vercruysse. In parallel, we launched a call for designers to participate in a sustainable design project, where five candidates were also selected: NAUWAU, Ellen Comhaire, Studio Plastique, Utilise.objects and Frederik Delbart.
After a preliminary process, in which all companies were visited together and everyone could get to know each other's competences, duos were formed between designers and companies. Designers and companies were then given time to work together, develop their ideas, and eventually realise them. All this happened under the guidance of the partners, using feedback moments, interim evaluations and workshops.
The ultimate goal was the realisation of one or more products. These were presented at a closing event in the Thomas More Hogeschool in Mechelen and via an exhibition during DesignFestGhent.
BOS+ Vlaanderen
Partners Flanders DC, Hout Info Bois
Sectors
Themes
Organisations
Website
MOST IMPORTANT
RESULTS
- During a preliminary process, the designers visited all companies and were able to study the wood processing processes and waste streams up close. Interests, competences and opportunities were discussed, which significantly broadened the view of both parties.
- The project led to a series of beautiful designs: '+52' by Studio Plastique, 'Tranquilitree' by Ellen Comhaire, 'The whimsical tree' and 'The edges of the tree' by Frederik Delbart, 'timbr' by NAUWAU, 'poplar research' and 'designs biodiversity' by Utilise.objects.
- We organised an intermediate event, due to the corona pandemic via webinar, with fascinating talks by speakers from both the wood and design sectors. There were 53 attendees.
- During the final event at the Thomas More campus in Mechelen, all the designs were presented. Lectures by two keynote speakers from BOSQ and switchrs also took place. It provided an excellent networking opportunity, with 35 live and 25 digital attendees.
MOST IMPORTANT
LESSONS LEARNED
- Except for a few innovators, it was a challenge to enthuse the wood sector to participate in a project like WOOD-DESIGN, as well as in events organised within the project, even though they are an important target group in the circular story.
- There is a lot of administration involved in scaling up a design: talks with buyers to bring the product into production and/or sell it, all kinds of technical checks, research work around patents ...
- The success of a project depends heavily on a partner's reach, network and area of expertise. That is why it is important to think carefully from the start about a communication plan and which organisations to involve to increase the reach.
- Creative insights can lead to very inspiring and sustainable results. It is very important to encourage this, not only financially but also through administrative support and a broad expertise network.
WHAT DOES
THE FUTURE HOLD?
The designers learnt a lot during this project: new knowledge about materials (woody waste streams), new techniques for dealing with materials, the sustainability principle, new partners, organisations, expertise centres ... All this knowledge, as well as the contacts and networks established with partners and experts, will be taken into account when coming up with future designs.
Furthermore, the developed designs themselves have a future within the design sector. Discussions are taking place for just about all the designs to expand ideas, put them into production and/or sell them.
In addition, some of the wood processing companies felt encouraged to look for other options for woody residual streams.
WOOD-DESIGN itself has no follow-up for the time being, but BOS+ is starting a two-year project with workshops and trajectories, to encourage companies and municipalities to make their (wood) purchasing policies more sustainable.
