USE – Urban Safety Daily – is an experimental 3D printed urban furniture. The aim of the project is to explore how technology can help recycle plastic through eco-sustainable design.
I find it an ingenious solution: the old plastic casings become a sort of "cover", like that of smartphones, which covers the concrete barriers, transforming them into elegant and functional street furniture. The city of Lucca gains installations for daily social life, and the environment finds itself with less plastic on its back.
From concrete barrier to urban furniture: a 3D printer and a (brilliant) idea are "enough"
R3direct (to find out more click here) uses cutting-edge 3D and parametric technologies to print robust, customizable objects from post-consumer plastics. The company collaborated with Giulia del Grande for her master's thesis, which focused on investigating the disconnect between fear and real risk in cities.
This was the "spring" that gave rise to the idea of covering the "New Jersey" concrete barriers, often used as a preventive anti-terrorism measure. The work of lead designer Stefano Giovacchini has transformed a sea of bricks made of Tetrapak® into urban furniture that also revives the perception of places.
And to think that I drank it once, with this bench
USE street furniture, as mentioned, is made of recycled plastic. Each piece costs around €1,50, and the entire furniture is made up of 3300 Tetrapak boxes. The recycling process was handled by another company with a factory in Lucca, la Lucart. Over 75% of the cellulose recovered from plastic has been converted into FiberPack®, a material also used in toilet paper, napkins, kitchen towels and the like. The remaining 25% is made up of polyethylene and aluminium, the other materials of which street furniture is made.
After 3D printing the design, R3direct invited craftsmen to refine each part of the barrier's covering, giving it a friendlier look that matches the city's unique architectural environment. the first prototype was installed in March 2022 and features a QR code that allows passers-by to scan and learn about the "journey" of the material used to create the furniture.
The city of Lucca is a beautiful place to visit or live. It will be even better with these new “smartphone” covers on the concrete barriers. They are not only beautiful, but also have a function.
