VO SHED
This project is a small shed for filtering and housing used vegetable oil as part of a storage and distribution center for a Seattle vegetable oil biofuel cooperative. Vegetable Oil - or VO – is conventional cooking oil, that is a viable, small-scale substitute for petroleum, especially as our fossil fuel resources become more costly and grow closer to depletion. The shed - the VO SHED - houses a series of filters and storage containers to transform the discarded, used vegetable oil, and make the oil a viable fuel alternative. The process housed within the shed takes a commonly discarded waste product and finds another, more refined use for it.The VO SHED makes an elegant and functional case for using local initiative to harness waste materials and upcycle them into new energy sources. The mobile shed is to primarily be located at a popular local nightspot, The Garage on Capital Hill in Seattle. The highly visible location and the mobility of the VO SHED make it a beacon for the transformation of waste into energy. The concept of upcycling waste is further reinforced in the design of the VO SHED’s exterior skin, which is constructed of translucent fins made from recycled milk jugs. Similar to the way in which filters clean and control oil content and flow, the shed’s walls are constructed from a series of vertical translucent recycled plastic louvers that filter light and visibility. The slight undulations in the wall recall the nature of the fluid inside the shed while the translucent character of the plastic sheets provide additional luminosity.
View Images
