spring 2006
Each year a hazardous amount of hardly degradable debris washes up on the shores of Kiunga, Kenya due to the
directionality of the Agulhas and Somali currents of the West Indian Ocean. This debris consists largely of
flip-flops and poses a serious obstruction to newly hatched sea turtles already facing a high mortality rate from
natural predators.
Serving both an environmental and economic purpose, the village women started a cottage industry that uses the
flip flops to make beads, jewelry, and art. The nearby Moikoni village is one of the nine villages already
participating in the flip-flop art project organized in part by the Kiunga National Marine Reserve and supported by
the World Wildlife Fund.
It was this problem that inspired me to find a use for thousands of abandoned and unmatched flip-flops. I
developed a simple wall system using the thong hole in the flip-flop and a vertical pole element to provide
structural stability and spacial flexibility.
The adaptable floor plan can be expanded or condensed in response to the need of the individual. It can also be
rolled tightly for portability to and from the beach.
All photos of Kiunga thanks to Philipp Goeltenboth of the World Wildlife Fund.
Each year a hazardous amount of hardly degradable debris washes up on the shores of Kiunga, Kenya due to the
directionality of the Agulhas and Somali currents of the West Indian Ocean. This debris consists largely of
flip-flops and poses a serious obstruction to newly hatched sea turtles already facing a high mortality rate from
natural predators.
Serving both an environmental and economic purpose, the village women started a cottage industry that uses the
flip flops to make beads, jewelry, and art. The nearby Moikoni village is one of the nine villages already
participating in the flip-flop art project organized in part by the Kiunga National Marine Reserve and supported by
the World Wildlife Fund.
It was this problem that inspired me to find a use for thousands of abandoned and unmatched flip-flops. I
developed a simple wall system using the thong hole in the flip-flop and a vertical pole element to provide
structural stability and spacial flexibility.
The adaptable floor plan can be expanded or condensed in response to the need of the individual. It can also be
rolled tightly for portability to and from the beach.
All photos of Kiunga thanks to Philipp Goeltenboth of the World Wildlife Fund.
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