Plastic Monument

UNIVERSITY OF RWANDA

Project idea

The design is inspired by the ball patterns as a ball is the simplest way kids use to reuse plastic waste, however, the hexagonal and pentagon patterns are seen in the chemical structure of the polymers. The patterns also are used to make the construction more east as the connection of structural plastic tubes are joined with small balls that make flexible connections.
The plastic inflated membranes are connected in between the patterns. The design is made as to the journey, from the outside of the entrance, the plastic is shiny, in a different color to show the beauty of plastic that currently seen in different uses however as you enter you can see the waste of that nice plastic how it has destroyed the environment dry trees, dead fishes and other aquatic beings as the journey continues the structure changes by the plastic inflated bags into patches to show people as they use plastic they should mind their disposal ”Let everyone
who uses plastic keep the waste to the place he or she knows” so that we control the impact of the plastic and ease the reuse when possible. As a result of keeping the plastic, the environment will be safe and aquatic life will be saved.

Project description

To manage well the plastics, some knowledge of plastics is encouraged. Since the 19th Century, with industrialization, plastics were introduced. Due to the technology development, plastics took over in the industrial world in the 20th century.
There is a number of types of plastics like Polyethylene terephthalate–PETE, (C10H8O4) n, Polyethylene (C2H4)n, Polypropylene (C3H6)n, Polystyrene(C8H8)n and Polyvinyl Chloride– PVC(C2H3Cl)n. All these types are used in the everyday life of humans.
Plastics are used to make bottles, pipes, ropes, carpets, bags, toys and so on and so forth.
Due to materials in which plastics are made from, some of the plastics have a decomposition rate which is low. Therefore, once thrown in nature, it can be harmful to the environment.
Our intervention is to make sure people understand the plastics and ways to manage them. Kids have taken a step ahead to recycle plastic waste by making a playing ball into plastic waste however as they play it get worse and pieces of plastic are flown all around which end up in the oceans. Again elastic is not bad to be used but very bad when the waste is not managed.
Our approach in the plastic monument is to call for people to know what really is plastic and encourage everyone to mind the disposal of the plastic after being used and in this case the design is made of waste plastics whereby the design has the patches where people can put their waste plastic. Not on this monument but in everyday life to make sure everyone doesn't throw the plastic anywhere but in a proper place so that it is simply found and reused for making kids balls, industrial recycling, and other uses.

Technical information

Our project includes a site plan, a floor plan, one section, elevations and perspectives

Co-authors

Patrick Kubwimana, Aubin Chris Mbashime, Robert Nishimwe