Thom Bindels

CumLaude

Department: Man and Leisure
Website: www.thombindels.com

Desert Pioneer

While refugee camps are designed as a short-term solution, in reality the average stay is 17 years. In these often barren landscapes, refugees live as desert pioneers, trying to rebuild their lives. In such dry wasteland, water management is the key for a more sustainable future. This foldable garden made of cardboard can help to restore the ecosystem. By filling the honeycomb structure with soil from the desert, it functions as an erosion barrier and stimulates water infiltration. The seeds that are nested in the cardboard will produce pioneer plants. As they grow, the cardboard will dissolve. ‘Desert Pioneer’ is designed to give both man and nature a second chance.