East Central Reporter

For Katlyn Wilkinson, Class of 2020 interior design technology, sustainability means more than cutting down on plastic waste. It means creating homebuilding products designed to last, using plastic that will otherwise go to waste. As Ecoplast Solutions’ design draftsman, she gets to do both. 

“We’re building homes out of panels made from 100 per cent recycled plastic,” says Wilkinson, who joined Ecoplast Solutions, located in Lloydminster, Alta., in 2020. “We cut the panels to whatever size we need, laminate them all together, and make wall sections in our shop before assembling everything onsite to build a house.”

Wilkinson, from Paradise Valley, Alta., chose Lakeland after graduating from a class of nine students. Lakeland’s smaller classes and one-on-one help from instructors provided a positive transition from high school, and she wasn’t disappointed in her Lakeland experience.

“I have nothing but positive things to say about my experience,” she explains. “The instructors were more than willing to put in extra hours to make sure I was where I needed to be and the program was very inclusive. The interior design program is very well-rounded.

I learned about different materials and programs as well as some carpentry and working with general contractors. There’s a little bit of everything in this program, which really helped me prepare for the role I’m in now.”

At Ecoplast Solutions, Wilkinson is the lead designer, responsible for design for the home and technical drafting in the shop to ensure the houses can be properly constructed.

“We have so much plastic waste. It is a problem,” Wilkinson says. “We may as well be upcycling it. Sustainability has different meanings, though, especially in a rural area like this one. It also impacts the longevity of the project. Because plastic doesn’t break down, these houses are going to last forever. That aspect of sustainability is important.”

Creating homes designed to last forever is especially rewarding to Wilkinson.

“I really hit the jackpot in the job category,” Wilkinson says. “I’m getting to do so much. I’m getting to design projects and also do some of the architectural work and technical drawings. As the main designer here, I go to client meetings, discuss what people want, and then bring their vision to reality.”

Original source can be found here