Project Zen – The Beginning

Conjure up the calming vision of a Zen meditation garden: exquisite planting, trees and rocks, raked pebble ripple-ponds, perhaps a wandering deer or two. Now imagine it all in corrugated fiberboard…

The concept grew from a recent collaboration with packaging experts, WestRock, when we created a show booth made entirely out of corrugated fiberboard for a sustainability-themed event. Its success got us thinking how we could exploit the omnipresent material in even more adventurous ways – maybe tempting more brands to emphasize their eco-credentials at shows. The result was Project Zen.

“We were looking for a kind of ‘experimental laboratory’ to explore the material further,” says CDI World associate designer, Ryan Hooper, who wields the project’s digital pencil. “Through our brainstorming, the idea of creating a Zen garden emerged. It had so many intriguing features that I immediately dove in, researching both meditation gardens and corrugated structures, seeing what was possible.”

To give an impression of scope and scale, we’ve included some of Ryan’s initial research and design sketches. As Project Zen develops, we’ll be showcasing its key elements and sharing more details about process and product. Watch this space.