AquaFashion

Cairo University, Faculty of Engineering Architecture Department.

Idea projektu

Rasheed, Egypt, faces significant environmental challenges due to the decline in fish populations and the accumulation of fish waste. Over the past decade, fish catches along the Mediterranean coast have decreased by 50%, and the diversity of fish species in the Nile River has dramatically decreased due to pollution, overfishing, and habitat loss. Fish farming often leads to pollution in the form of excess ammonia and nutrient runoff. These pollutants contribute to eutrophication, leading to oxygen depletion and harmful effects on Nile fish populations.

The AquaFashion project offers a solution by transforming fish skin into leather, reducing waste, and providing an eco-friendly product. Additionally, fish processing generates 60-70% waste, including skin, bones, and viscera. Fish bones — a byproduct of fish processing — will be repurposed to create sustainable fish feed, contributing to a circular economy and further reducing the environmental impact of fish farming. Moreover, incorporating seaweed cultivation into aquaculture systems can help purify water by absorbing excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, for example, can remove excess nutrients, improving water quality and supporting a healthier aquatic environment for fish. This project addresses both environmental issues and boosts local economies through sustainable practices in fashion and aquaculture.

Popis projektu

Key areas of the project include:
-Shed: A large canopy structure made of timber and steel, with fabric panels that regulate sunlight for optimal fish farm productivity and user comfort. The shed ensures climate control and provides shade through the seasons, benefiting both the aquatic environment and project visitors.
-Circular Fish Farms: Using fish farming to provide raw materials for sustainable leather production and fish bones for creating fish feed, turning waste into a valuable resource for future farming.
-Fashion Shows, Basement Zone, and Drying Towers: Creating eco-friendly fashion items from fish leather, promoting environmental awareness and innovation in fashion.
-Fish Feed Production (Conical Units): Repurposing fish bones, a byproduct of fish processing, to create high-quality, sustainable feed for future fish farms, supporting the circular economy.
-Community Empowerment (Nile Extension Landscape): Involving local artisans and communities in the production and fashion creation process, providing sustainable livelihoods.
-Ground Floor: Serving as a marketplace for sustainable products, including fish leather fashion items and fish feed, while acting as an economic hub for local artisans. It fosters job creation and offers training programs to engage the community in sustainable production.

Technické informace

The AquaFashion project utilizes sustainable fish leather, produced through eco-friendly methods. The shed's structural framework is designed with mass timber and steel elements, emphasizing the fusion of traditional craftsmanship and modern design. The fishing areas incorporate circular fish farm units, floating on the Nile, with nets carefully designed to minimize environmental impact. The fashion shows backstage areas have been designed to fit the project needs in the best way by having it as close to the stage as possible (hidden under it). The leather drying towers have hanged leather that moves through the floor like traditional tannery designs to simplify circulation. The landscape area has a flowy path with community engaging services such as bike lanes, booths, and fishing areas integrated across the circular farms to create an interesting path for the Rasheed community.