Composting lexicon

The lexicon helps you understand more about the words and concepts we use to talk about living materials and composting. We are continuously adding and refining the lexicon during the Living Library project, so expect things to change and evolve.


Afterlife

The afterlife of a material refers to the stages and processes it undergoes after its initial used. With the focus on composting the aim is to enrich the soil and avoid the negative impact disposal has on the natural environment.

Bio Design Lab

The lab at the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe where students can go to develop and experiment with biomaterials.

Compost

Compost is decayed organic matter used as a natural fertiliser and soil enhancer. Unlike synthetic fertilisers, it nourishes plants indirectly by sustaining soil microbes like bacteria, fungi, and worms. This natural recycling process enriches the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties.

  1. Guus Kaandorp, Floor Kortman, Lou Lou van Staaveren. Compost (Pleasant Place 3, 2023)

Composter

A bin or container used to decompose organic waste materials into nutrient rich compost through the natural process of decomposition facilitated by fungi, worms and microorganisms.

Decay

Decay is the process of gradual decomposition and deterioration of organic matter, primarily through the action of bacteria, fungi, and other organisms. This process breaks down dead material, playing a crucial role in the nutrient cycle and ecosystem sustainability.

Decay has also a positive connotation when it refers to something that, while decomposing, goes back to nature and to life following a sustainable and eco-friendly process.

  1. Ostendorf-Rodríguez, Yasmine. How to Re-Think Decay and Decomposition? (Let’s Become Fungal! Mycelial Teachings and the Arts, 2023)

  2. Schmeisser, Sigrid. LANDBODY GLOSSARY (From Centre to Periphery, 2023)

Environmental

Concerned with the protection of the ecosystem in which different lifeforms coexist.

Lexicon

A list with our own definitions of the most commonly used words in the Living Library.

Living Library

The living library is an archive of sustainable materials that can be used for art and design practices. All materials are created using ingredients sourced within a 50-kilometer radius of the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe (HfG). These materials are designed to be fully compostable after use, ensuring an eco-friendly lifecycle.

Local

All resources that can be found within a 50-kilometer radius around the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe.

Not so local

The most important resources that can be found outside the 50-kilometer radius around the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe.

Regenerative

Materials that restore, renew, or revitalise ecosystems, enhancing the capacity to support life by increasing biodiversity and improving soil health.

Soil

Soil is the top layer of the Earth’s surface composed of mineral particles, organic matter, water and air. It serves as a medium for plant growth, a habitat for organisms, and plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling and water filtration.

Super local

All resources that can be found within and closely around the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe.

Sustainable

A material or process that promotes the long-term conservation of ecological balance by minimising the environmental impact. Sustainable materials derive from natural resources and renewable raw materials.