Cradle to soil: rethinking furniture design for environmental impact

Abstract

This thesis explores the environmental impact of the furniture industry which contributes a significant amount of waste production in Canada. With a focus on sustainability, this study addresses the industry’s overproduction, overconsumption and reliance on non-regenerative materials. This current design method instilled a culture that is termed Cradle to Grave, where everyday products are designed to be obsolete, bound for the landfill before it is even consumed. The thesis critiques the Cradle to Cradle earlier design model and advocates for a shift toward a lower environmental impact framework, the Cradle to Soil approach. This concept, building on the Cradle to Cradle theory by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, prioritizes disassembly, reuse, modularity, and the use of organic materials to reduce environmental harm. The research focuses on the Laurentian University McEwen School of Architecture as a site, studying the current furniture pieces in the school and designing new furniture that is built for longevity and eventually returned to the earth to enrich the soil by using organic materials. By integrating these principles, it aims to create functional and culturally relevant furniture while promoting a circular economy, sustainable design choice and mitigating waste within the site.