Proposal

__HEMBOO SHOES PROPOSAL__
 * 

__INTRODUCTION__ **

The Project proposal is to create a design concept that will solve a problem for the "other 90%" in our world. Our stakeholders are looking for a product that native indigenous tribe people can use for farming or hunting. The product design will focus on indigenous tribes that live in the Americas. They have no income to purchase sturdy shoes or have skills or resources to create shoes. A shoe made out of Bamboo and Hemp will cater to stakeholder's goal to supply sustainable shoes, where the tribe people can utilize when farming and hunting. The tribe people are exposed to dangers daily like poisonous plants, insects, as well as rough terrain that can cut or burn their foot. With a sustainable shoe these dangers can be avoided and in turn decreases unnecessary deaths, or need for medicine. To equip the indigenous people with sturdy shoes this will benefit their health as it promotes safety and assist them to be more efficient with their hunting and farming.

The goal of the this project is to teach the tribe's people how to make these shoes themselves in a completely sustainable manner. __BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MATERIAL__ ** Bamboo has been an important plant to the development of human society since it's discovery. With over 1200 different species of Bamboo, it's abundance in some parts of the world have proven invaluable. ( [|HardwoodInstaller.com, 2010] ) Besides it's abundance, it is the fastest growing wood plant known to man. It can grow a whole meter in just one day. You can literally watch it grow. Because of this, it's easy to harvest, replant, and continue to use as necessary, making it not only abundant, but renewable. Also, because it grows so fast, it's one of the best carbon dioxide reducers and oxygen producers, so harvesting it and letting it grow up again benefits us even more. Bamboo can be harvested efficiently every 3-5 years as opposed to the 10-20 years traditional softwoods take to regrow. It can be used for all the same purposes such ply wood, paper pulp, fuel briquettes, and rebar for concrete construction. ( [|HardwoodInstaller.com, 2010] )
 * __Bamboo__**

Bamboo is traditionally known for it's use in housing. Even today, over 1 billion people still live in homes partially or completely constructed with bamboo. The reason for this is it's strength and durability. It's extremely strong, it's tensile strength per square inch 28,000. In comparison, steel only weighs in at 23,000. It's durability helps keep homes standing during even the harshest of storms and earthquakes. After Hiroshima's destruction, this plant was the first to regrow even under harsh radioactive conditions.( [|HardwoodInstaller.com, 2010] )

The problem is that Bamboo only grows in tropical environments, we could never have it naturally in Canada as an alternative to our softwood. However, in tropical, less developed environments, this plant is a key resource to their societies' advancement. In this sustainability assessment, we will outline how we think bamboo can be used even more efficiently, and for even more purposes in society using excess bamboo traditionally wasted when cutting logs to size for home building.


 * __Hemp__** ( [|Hemp-Sisters.com, 2010] )

Hemp (also known as the male marijuana plant) is the oldest cultivated fiber plant known to man. It's roots can be traced back to 8000BC. The reason is simple: It produces the strongest fibers of all plants. It is warmer, more absorbent and lasts longer than it's counterparts (mainly cotton).

Because of the density in which the hemp plant is grown per square meter, it does not allow any light to reach the ground. This behaviour prevents weeds from growing naturally, instead of using dangerous herbicides. Also, it's strong "immune system" doesn't attract any insect enemies, eliminating the need for pesticides as well. These factors combined mean that it's growth and harvest are completely sustainable, and the soil used to grow the plant is kept safe, making the process renewable.

Hemp is used in a variety of elements in societies today. Popular Mechanics once described it as being an ingredient in "dynamite to Cellophane". Hemp pulp can be used to make paper. In fact, it takes 75% less trees, by area, to make the same amount of paper using Hemp.

Because of it's controversial legal standing, Hemp still has several barriers of entry here in North America. However, elsewhere in the world it grows naturally in various environments, and it used regularly for the aforemetioned uses.


 * __Conclusion__**

Bamboo and Hemp are both environmentally friendly plants found in nature. Bamboo's durability will make it a great sole for our product, while Hemp's strength and resistance to the elements can't be ignored when considering the sides and top of the product.

__TARGET GROUP__

**** Target Group: ** Poor, Underserved tribe people in the Amazon Rainforest.

The design concept of a sustainable shoe is targeted to poor, indigenous tribe people who live in the Amazon Rainforest. Our group target are tribes like the Yanomamo and Kawesqar who live in the Americas today. There are a number of different tribes living in the Amazon Rainforest, whom continues to exist within the rapid changes of today's technological living. Like many tribes the Yanomamo, as an example, live in the mountains of the Amazon, are very skillful in terms of handicrafts, and utilize these skills as a way to provide a source clothing ( [|Wikipedia, 2010] ). The Kawesqar are the last remaining indigenous tribes facing extinction in Chile; they are described as nomads of the sea. The Kawesqar people harvest, bird and deer hunts for food, clothing and shelter ( [|Loncuante, 2005] ). The Yanomamo people are an Amazonian tribe who also live in the South America. They are the largest population of indigenous people in the Amazon Rainforest, living among the hills between Brazil and Venezuela ( [|Wikipedia, 2010] ). Because of the remote area they live in, the tribe has remained isolated from the outside world. The Yanomamo are also hunters, horticulturists and fishers. These two tribes have many things in common; including living in hot rough terrain, and working without shoes. However, both communities have access to essential resources like Bamboo and Hemp. The two tribes survive by farming which means they are mostly outdoors performing heavy work, this emphasizes their need for sturdy shoes. In Chile, Hemp is farmed for fibre and seed production ( [|Foster, 2010] ). This allows Kawesqar tribes the ability to trade with other tribes like the Yanomamo who have Bamboo resources. Bamboo grows a large part of the southwestern Amazonia and covers about 180,000 km2 reaching over the Brazilian Amazon ( [|Silveira, 1999] ). This gives the Yanomamo a great advantage to trade with any native tribes for resources they do not have. The goal is to exchange resources between each tribe consequently allowing both indigenous people to benefit from Bamboo and Hemp plant in order to make sustainable shoes on their own. The idea for our design came from a collaboration of personal experiences and a common interest in tackling health and safety concerns. It began with a discussion on what our goals are for this sustainable design project. Throughout the conversation certain topics were repeatedly mentioned – health and safety. These correlating topics formed the foundation to the conceptualization of our design. After further discussions and initial research the direction of our project was centered around creating a product that can insure the safety of the users and intern minimize health concerns.
 * __INSPIRATION__ **

In addition, it was a personal experience of one of our group members that helped us to identify what product should be implemented. The story was about a family member who had gotten cut on their foot due to an improper shoe. Unfortunately, this lead to an infection and a slow deterioration of the person's health. It was from this we did research about the importance of foot care to health and the need of shoes.

Furthermore, keeping in mind user centered design it was apparent that the design and end product must be sustainable. Therefore, it was important that the materials could be easily found in the environment.


 * __DESIGN APPROACH__ **

The design of a sustainable shoe must take into account many factors that occur in such a region. With regards to our design we must be able to utilize materials that are largely available, while also ensuring the proper building tools are readily available with the least amount of foreign assistance. The shoe must further be designed to withstand the daily pressures and obstacles that naturally occur due to the terrain, whilst still being capable of enduring the long duration of work that many native people in that region face. Keeping this in mind, we seek to design sustainable footwear that is mainly constructed of bamboo and hemp. With the use of bamboo we can create a solid platform on which to establish our shoe, thus providing the needed structural support for the plantar fascia (Lower foot region). As bamboo can be thinly cut, it will also be utilized to support the overall structure of the shoe with emphasis on the front and back regions of the foot. By taking advantage of traditional weaving methods within the pacific region, natives are able to use the bamboo and hemp to weave together the comforting material that encompasses a shoe and provides the necessary warmth and protection sought. The hemp will further be utilized to create an insole aimed at giving the user extra comfort since they may be wearing the shoe for long periods of time. Furthermore, in order to tighten the footwear, the weave will have parts of it (mainly in the tongue area of a regular shoe), which can be pulled, triggering the bamboo and hemp to tighten.

  **** __CONCLUSION__ ** **

The goal of this project is to demonstrate how sustainable design can be used to benefit communities that do not have government support. The purpose of this design concept is to meet the indigenous' health and safety. After evaluating the importance of having shoes, and keeping the last remaining tribal communities, the solution will ensure we keep them safe from the dangers of their habitat.