braid
Hair-filled textile tetrapods for oil cleanup
Braid is a modular coastal protection concept for municipalities and NGOs that cleans up oil and grease pollution using waste human hair as a natural sorbent inside textile tetrapod modules. Each unit can absorb 4 to 7 times its mass in oily waste. The project creates a local circular loop: waste hair from salons is used, and the system is maintainable, reducing landfill waste and replacing petrochemical-based sorbents. The textile shell is durable and can be refilled with new hair cartridges.
Company/Institution
Istanbul Technical University
Istanbul Technical University (ITU), founded in 1773, is one of Turkey’s most established institutions in engineering, architecture, and design. The Faculty of Architecture offers a strong academic environment that unites architecture, urban planning, and design disciplines. Within this faculty, the Industrial Design Department focuses on user-centered, creative, and innovative product development, emphasizing material, manufacturing, and experience-based design education.
Country
Turkey
Designer(s)
Oğuzhan Tekeş, Taha Yiğit Bekiroğlu
Yiğit Bekiroğlu is a master’s student at Istanbul Technical University who has worked on a range of research and awarded design projects, with a growing focus on infrastructure and environmental interventions. Oğuzhan Tekeş is a final-year industrial design student at Istanbul Technical University, passionate about creating innovative, user-centred products with a strong emphasis on sustainability.