O-MD: eco lab

Mobile ECO LAB

 

The mobile ECO LAB was built in collaboration with the Hollywood Beautification Team, a grassroots group founded with the mission to restore beauty and integrity to the Hollywood community. Design and construction work was based around a donated cargo truck trailer and cast-offs from film sets. The 8’ x 35’ trailer now travels throughout Los Angeles County to inform K-12 school-aged children about the importance of saving and protecting our planet.

As a working mobile classroom, the ECO LAB provides a base for a range of exhibitions all of which focus on ecology. A multimedia program explaining the "life of a tree" creates a path for discovery that weaves in and out of the space. A working art studio, local artists collaborate with the children to create facade-sized murals replacing graffiti at inner-city schools. School teachers use stage-platforms to discuss each child's role in the importance of planting trees and maintaining a sustainable environment.  Like a circus tent, this mobile icon arrives at the schoolyard where elevated walkways fold down and slide out of the trailer's body. It is immediately recognizable as a place for interaction, discovery and fun.