Held every year on April 22nd, World Earth Day marks a global initiative established in 1970 by US Senator Gaylord Nelson. Its purpose is to raise awareness about climate change and the myriad challenges confronting ecosystems worldwide. Originating in the United States as a catalyst for concrete actions to protect and preserve the planet, the event has since evolved into a significant global phenomenon.
Recognized as a crucial moment for engaging governments, non-governmental organizations, institutions, and citizens worldwide in environmental protection efforts, World Earth Day underscores the importance of collective action and is an opportunity to promote awareness and reinforce the significance of achieving the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals to be attained by all UN member countries by 2030 encompass Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, consolidated for the first time in a unified framework focused on sustainable development and combating poverty.
World Earth Day calls upon every nation to contribute to raising awareness of these common challenges. Within the context of heightened environmental awareness, i-Mesh stands out for its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Rooted in the ethos of minimizing waste and maximizing material reusability, i-Mesh focuses on creating products that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also ecologically sound. Leveraging cutting-edge technologies and innovative materials, i-Mesh develops fabrics and surfaces that prioritize durability and recyclability at the end of their lifecycle.
The circular economy forms another cornerstone of i-Mesh's philosophy, and is a fundamental departure from traditional linear models that lead to unsustainable resource exploitation and waste accumulation. Embracing a regenerative approach, the circular economy encourages the design of products and materials for maximum reuse, recycling, and repairability, thus minimizing waste and environmental impact. This paradigm shift fosters innovation and creativity in developing sustainable solutions that promote responsible resource management.
Reflecting its zero-waste philosophy, i-Mesh minimizes environmental impact through optimized production processes and eco-friendly practices. In addition to reduced waste and emissions, the company designs products that can efficiently be reused at the end of their life cycle. Through its ongoing research and commitment to sustainable innovation, i-Mesh exemplifies the integration of high-quality design with environmental responsibility.
Durability is a fundamental pillar of i-Mesh's philosophy, validated through aging tests and installations in extreme climatic conditions. This ensures the resilience, longevity, and unalterability of i-Mesh products in terms of performance and color, thus reducing the need for frequent replacements. Additionally, i-Mesh's emphasis on natural ventilation in both vertical partitions such as facades and in horizontal shading solutions such as sun coverings, enhances indoor thermal comfort, reducing dependence on artificial cooling systems.
The lightweight materials used by i-Mesh offer significant advantages in transportation and installation, resulting in reduced shipping costs and energy consumption.
Additionally, i-Mesh's response to light improves visual comfort in indoor spaces, reducing glare and simultaneously increasing light levels when used as to diffuse light in front of windows or other light sources.
The ethos of sustainability permeates all the operations of i-Mesh, reflecting a stable design practice for architecture and design. In the "Arazzi Contemporanei" Collection, i-Mesh and its project partners showcase creative solutions that explore the nexus of art, design, and environmental consciousness. These works serve as visual representations of the intricate relationship between humanity and the natural world, embodying a vision of harmony and regeneration.
The artwork of Rona Meyuchas-Koblenz depicts radical landscapes that envelop the viewer in a gentle embrace of threads, offering a visual journey through contoured lines, distant horizons beyond sand dunes, and the ever-shifting boundary between spatial dimensions and their layers. This artwork manipulates two-dimensional truths to evoke a sense of three-dimensionality, challenging conventional perceptions and inviting contemplation of the enigmatic depths of space. It celebrates the intricacies of perspective, portraying the desert as a fragment that embodies both conflict and potential salvation.
In contrast, the bold experiments of the Salida Basica Collective play with patterns, embracing unpredictability and the inherent poetics of waste, fragmentation, recovery, and error. Their compositions suggest a narrative of material survival in a silent factory at the end of production, where order and chaos, balance and dissonance, rules and exceptions intertwine in a dance of creative expression.
On a different artistic plane, Giovanna Latis' elegant abstract naturalism captures the essence of waves colliding, harmonizing, and renewing. It offers a vision of boundless realms and the intimate interplay between earth, sky, and sea, portraying a perpetual cycle of regeneration. Each element exists within the other, infinitely intertwined in a symphony of existence.
“A circular economy is a systemic approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment. In contrast to the ‘take-make-waste’ linear model, a circular economy is regenerative by design and aims to gradually decouple growth from the consumption of finite resources. The design sits prominently at the heart of the circular economy. Design is key to the first principle of circular economy, ‘eliminate waste and pollution.’ The reality is that most things today are still designed for the linear model. It requires us to redesign everything: products, business models, cities, and the linear systems that have lasted for the past centuries.”
Ellen MacArthur
(Source: i-Mesh company profile)
