Catalyst for innovation in sustainable tropical buildings, Alvéoles recently unveiled its new materials studio, Fabric, dedicated to the transformation and valorization of the island’s resources in a circular and low-tech logic.
With Fabrik, the cooperative society of collective interest (SCIC) Alvéoles continues the mission it has set for itself : accelerate the ecological transition and strengthen the material sovereignty of the island. This place of experimentation aims to design and prototype products from local recycled materials., geosourced or biosourced. Imagined by Guillaume Hoareau, general director of Alvéoles, piloted by Emmanuel Hervé, head of the engineering department, Lisa Zandonella, innovative projects engineer, and Arlene Robic, prototyping and design engineer, Fabrik extends the dynamic of the start-up studio Evolve, launched last September. While Evolve supports the creation of start-ups in the tropical construction sector, Fabrik makes this possible by testing locally reproducible solutions.
Two complementary poles
Au studio Fabric, two centers bring together research and manufacturing. A laboratory for characterizing materials produced from local resources and waste (plastics, textiles, minerals or bio-sourced fibers), whose objective is to obtain stable materials, resistant and adapted to the tropical climate. A prototyping workshop which extends this work by designing demonstrators : panels, blocs, coatings, functional pieces or design objects. A first project was carried out with students from ENSA La Réunion. Supported by the Bambooneem company and the Synergie Péi association, students imagined prototypes of furniture for the office and urban spaces.
