a collaborative project to foster home composting

Building Manual

Compo-station

Behind the Project

Germany, Poland, United Kingdom, Sweden and Mexico come together to work on an art project and Mexican-European sustainability. European and Mexican artists promote posi-tive changes in the social, urban and environ-mental contexts in their countries through cultural exchanges and artistic projects.

The project’s main premise is to exchange knowledge, ideas and practices in order to explore how the art can serve as a catalyst to achieve positive changes in society, urban-isation and environment.

The workshops includes disciplines such as design, performing arts and sound art. It is supported by artists from Germany, France, Mexico, Poland, the UK, Sweden and Spain. The workshops are designed to raise aware-ness and encourage people around, share responsibility of the environmental problems and participate in creative solutions.

The event is called RE-MEX. The Power of the Arts highlights not only its artistic proposal, but also shows commitment to a social cause when looking for empowering work-shop participants through the development of skills and trades.

This time the Goethe Institut of Mexico, calls the Mexican designer Ariel Rojo, who is leading a collaborative project with indus-trial design students from the UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) and staff of El Faro de Indios Verdes. The aim of the workshop is to learn the technique of vermicompost from organic waste.

The result of this collaboration will be CopyLeft design, which will be offered to anyone from around the world who is inter-ested in assembling this piece and contribut-ing to the environment.

Participants:Goethe Institut:Jenny MügelClaudia Wondratschke

UNAM Students:Tania Marina Acevedo GranadosTaina Campos GarcíaNancy Karen Carrasco SánchezLorena Gallardo NielsenCarlos Iván Marcelli EspejelLesly Yobany Mendoza MendozaEdali Yareni Murillo GómezIrma Dalia Quiroga CornejoAndrea Ríos GallegoCésar Rivera MariscalJohanna Serna Zuluaga

Faro de Indios VerdesLesly Yobany Mendoza Mendoza

Ariel Rojo Design Studio:Ariel RojoRodolfo Kusulas

Photography:Taina CamposCésar R. Mariscal

www.goethe.dewww.unam.mx

www.talleresfaroindiosverdes.wordpress.comwww.arielrojo.com

The vermicompost allows converting organic waste into compost rapidly, while producing high quality fertilizer.

The compost maker is made of three buckets of 19Lts cut at 3 different heights creating 3 levels. The first level is the fresh waste coming straight from the kitchen. The second level is a transition of organic waste (where the worms are), and at the bottom is the humus. The third level holds an accumulated leachate, which is the liquid from the process, and which has also great value as a fertilizer.

The workstation is made of standard sized pieces of lumber and of 12mm plywood.The result of this project is the compost and the workstation. Generally composting is inconvenient, but this proposal offers an opti-mal workspace for chopping organic waste and keeping some of the gardening tools that are linked to composting.

To know more about compost and vermiculture, you can go to:

http://www.cdi.gob.mx/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=699

http://www.compostaenred.org/

Materials

suggested ToolsHand ToolsScrewdriverHammer

A good constructive project is based in good working habits so we recommend you to consider the following:

-Carefully review the manual and the instructions before you start working on your compost-Work-safe, use safety glasses and dust masks-At the end of each session, clean and store the materials and tools to avoid accidents

Power ToolsJigsaw or hacksawDrill and drill 1/4 "and 1/8"Orbital sander

MiscellaneousPencilMeasuring tapeSafety GlassesSanding paper of 120, 150 and 220Dust maskBrushPaint in desired colorSilicon

Build your compost

Before you start

3 empty 19 or 5gal. lt buckets with lidFaucetLag screws of 3 "Solid wood 2 "Half sheet 12mm or 1/2" plywood

* Suggested Wood: Pine

Build your compostParts List - Workstation *

Key Quantity DimensionsABCDEF

124468

50x85cm - 12mm Plywood 30x45cm - 12mm Plywood5x75cm - 2” Pine wood5x45cm - 2” Pine wood5x100cm - 2” Pine wood5x35cm - 12mm Plywood

DECK - A

D

D

PILLAR - E

BRACKET - F

SHELF - B

BRACKET- C

C

C

C

F

F

F

*Only wooden structure

BRACKET- D

3. Cut a circle* a little larger than the top of the buckets (32 cm diameter) , and then cut a circle of 27 cm in diameter to fit on top of the lid. The guidelines of the dimensions are shown on the right.

4. Cut semicircles of 10 cm diameter in the cover and in the remaining circle as shown.

5. Paint color the deck board and shelves

8. Fix the 8 Plywood brackets (C) as shown in the image.

9. Fix the board to the upper frame structure and the two shelves upon the 30 cm spaced brackets.

6. Join and screw two rectangular frames of 85cm x 45cm with parts C and D

7. Join E parts to frames taking as guides the corners and midpoints of the frames. Use the screws and drill

Workstation - cutting and assembly

A B C D E F

3cm37cm

85cm

45cm

45cm

32cm

27cm

10cm

30cm

44.5cm

11 cm

34.5cm

30cm

30cm

30cm 30cm

1. From 2” Pine wood cut: C -4 pieces of 75cm x 5 cm for upper brackets D -4 pieces of 45cm x 5 cm for side brackets E -6 pieces 100cm x 5 cm for pillars

2. From pine plywood board cut: A -Un tablero de 45cm x 85cm para la cubierta. B -2 tableros de 45cm x30cm para las repisas F - 8 piezas de 35 cm x 5cm

*Remember to cut out circles of 10cm in diameter that allow you uncover the bucket easily.

A

B

B

A

D

5cm

MIDPOINTS

C

D

E

C

C

PARTS LIST - compost

Key Quantity ItemT1C1T2C2C3L

111111

Complete lidBucket with perforated base Perforated lidBucket with window and pierced baseBucket with faucet hole and opening Faucet

LID 1- T1

BUCKET 1 - C1

LID 2- T2

BUSKET 2- C2

BUCKET 3 - C3

FAUCET -LA

Build your compost

1. Prepare three plastic buckets of 19 liters, 2 of which must have lids. Cut the base of bucket 1 leaving a tab of 2-3 cm, this will serve as a base for attachment with Lid 2.

2. On Lid 2 cut a circumference taking as reference the hole previously made on bucket 1, this will create a support frame.

3. Trace on bucket 2 from the base of a rectangle 25 cm high * 9cm wide and short route as above, with the remainder to make a door, as shown in the image

4. Repeatedly auger the base of bucket 2 with the 1/8” drill bit.

5. On bucket 3, cut the rectangle 25 cm long x 9 cm high from the last tab trying to match the rectangle cut on tray 2.

6. Cover bucket 2 with the perforated lid (lid 2)

7. Stack bucket 1 one on top lid 2 seal the join with silicone (silicone will dry within a day)

8. On the tank 3 cut a hole to place the faucet. After insertion, seal it with silicone and let it dry for at least 24 hours before using.

Compost - Assembly

LID 1

BUCKET 1

LID 2

BUCKET 2BUCKET 3

SILICON

SILICON

BUCKET 3BUCKET 2

Finally you're almost ready to use your Compo-Station. Simply place the buckets on the brackets of the structure as shown in the image to get started.

set up your Compost-Station

.

get worms

Hay

collect compost

Un

Station.

use your compost

Use your compo -station

Fill the bucket with strips of cardboard or shred-ded newspaper. Also add dry grass or something similar to it so that it is well ventilated. Add a

handful of earth on top of the above and let it wet. Let the water seep well one day before introduc-ing the worms to Compo-Station.

There are many varieties of Vermiculture worms. Therefore, it is not advisable to take just any kind of worms that live naturally in gardens. It is best

to go to a gardening store to learn which is the the variety of worms that handle most convenient for you.

Once enough time has passed * for the worms to work the compost, you can rotate bucket 3 and align the openings to collect compost. Use rubber gloves. Remove the compost and place it on a

newspaper, then spread it in layers to identify worms that might be left in the compost. Sepa-rate them and return them to the Compo-Station.

Now you can plant using your rich worm compost, and do not forget that with the composting process, a leachate at the bottom of Compo-Station

is left, which likewise can be collected and be used to fertilize your crops.

* Usually compost is considered ready after 16 weeks, although the product can be used in outdoor gardens at 6 weeks where it can follow the decomposition process with no negative environmental impact.