Designed by Victor Massip and Laurent Lebot of design studio Faltazi, assisted by Céline Bécu, Arthur Senant and Danielle Wielezynski, the Ekokook kitchen concept was developed as an entrant in the annual VIA Carte Blanche awards, which recognises young talent, promotes French creation and awards a grant to designers whose originality and maturity of creative approach are outstanding for the period.
Ekokook as a concept was conceived to help households reduce their ecological footprint by improving waste management through intelligent storage. The kitchen therefore incorporates built-in fittings for selecting, processing and storing all kinds of waste from organic matter, to solid and liquid waste. Solid waste can be compacted for storage therefore reducing the frequency of collection by the local authorities. The kitchen incorporates five separate units for processing glass, paper, plastics, metals and miscellaneous solid waste and can be customised to suit the user profile and interact with services offered by the community.
Organic waste water used in the kitchen can be stored and reused for tasks such as watering household plants. The built-in double sink features a double plug allowing the user to direct waste water either down the plug or into a reservoir situated below , which collects filtered waste water that has no grease scum. Similarly organic waste is broken down in an earthworm kitchen composter, which after three months releases ‘lumbri’ compost and a liquid effluent which drains into two jugs and can be diluted and used to feed plants.
With this project Faltazi is echoing the ecological revolution that has already begun and Ekokook simply extends the measures that have already been initiated by the public authorities in France into the realm of private homes.
