Creative Sustainability Expressions: Student Projects Crafted from Waste Materials in Basic Design Studios

Integrating the circular economy concepts into basic design/art courses, which are foundational to creativity-oriented disciplines, is crucial for introducing students to sustainability. This study employs a case study within the Basic Design Studio of the Interior Architecture and Industrial Design Departments to examine the process and outcomes of crafting student work leftovers. A mixed-method approach with a single-group pre-test post-test model was employed in an experimental design. Fifteen students collected waste from various exercises throughout the semester. The materials, mostly paper, and its derivatives, were stored for a workshop to be transformed into new creative works on two- or three-dimensional plane. Drawing on four main theoretical frameworks—sustainability, aesthetics, basic design, and visualization in design education—the study emphasizes the aesthetics of sustainability. By examining this hybrid area, this study contributes to students' creative expressions of sustainability, awareness about conscious material use and sustainable practices in their future careers.