Mobile MRF Units

Mobile teaching aids with versatile storage capabilities designed for recycling education. The aim was to provide educators and presenters with a practical solution that enhances the learning experience while offering efficient storage options.

Context:

This project involved the redesign of the Education Room at Visy Recycling's Material Recovery Facility in Auckland, aiming to create a vibrant and multi-functional space for public education on recycling. The concept developed for this project focused on the sequence of recycling content, categorizing them by material - Fibre, Plastic, Glass, and Metal. A visually captivating wall was designed to showcase the lifecycle of these materials, illustrating their journey from raw state to transformation into everyday items, and ultimately their sorting for a second life.

Mobile MRF Units:

To enhance the educational experience, four mobile units were created to serve as teaching aids, storage solutions, and workshop tables. Each unit incorporated materials representing the origins of the recycled waste products, framed by bright yellow boxes and illuminated with LED lights for easy reference. The construction of these units featured a bright 'safety yellow' color on steel boxes, zinc-ed angled iron frames, birch ply fronts, and saveBOARD cladding made from recycled tetra-pack cartons.

Each mobile unit boasted a glass top for interchangeable educational displays and three drawers for versatile storage. Equipped with wheels and brakes, the units offered easy mobility and flexibility for rearrangement within the Education Room, enhancing their practicality and user-friendliness.

Project leads & studio team: Mathilde Polmard, Raimana Jones 

Awards:

• 2023 Tāmaki Makaurau Architecture Awards - Peripheral Architecture: Finalist