AZ EcoDesign · Sustainable projects · Rethink & Redesign · The Alchemy of Waste™

What if we looked at things differently?

AZEcodesign turns the TAOW methodology into practical projects, creative solutions, and opportunities for people, businesses, and communities.

Have an idea? Let's talkSee the projects
01Rethinkwhat already exists
02Redesignwith intention
03Transformmaterials into something new

Home · We live surrounded by things we no longer need

We call many of these things waste.
But what if they are simply waiting to be seen differently?

  • 01A garment that no longer fits.
  • 02A chair left on the sidewalk.
  • 03A piece of fabric, a package, a tin, a piece of furniture.
  • 04An idea that was never given a chance.

For more than 30 years, I have been curious about what happens when we look beyond what something is, and imagine what it could become. That curiosity became my work.

AZEcodesign was born from this belief: sustainability doesn't have to begin with what we cannot do. It can begin with what we can imagine. We rethink materials. We redesign what already exists. We explore new possibilities. We turn ideas into projects and projects into action.

Sometimes that means helping a company or organization develop a sustainable project. Sometimes it means mentoring a designer who is looking at an old garment and asking, “What else could this be?” Sometimes it means bringing people together around a table, a sewing machine, a piece of discarded material, or simply a new idea.

Because perhaps the most important transformation isn't what happens to the material. It is what happens when we learn to see its value. And that is where the journey begins.

A pile of discarded clothes An armchair left on the sidewalk Boxes of shredded textiles A hand sketching in a notebook
We call it
We see

AZEcodesign · The platform

Good ideas deserve to happen.

People sewing together around a table
Around a table · A sewing machine, a piece of discarded material, a new idea

What could we do differently?

AZEcodesign is a multidisciplinary platform dedicated to transforming sustainable ideas into practical projects, creative solutions, and meaningful opportunities.

We work with businesses, organizations, communities, creative professionals, and individuals to develop projects that connect design, sustainability, creativity, and real-world action. From developing and writing a sustainable project to mentoring a designer through the redesign of a garment, our work is always about finding practical and creative ways forward.

A problemSome ideas begin with a problem.
A materialSome begin with a material.
A questionSome begin with a place, a community, or simply a question.

You bring the idea. We help shape what comes next.
The next project could be yours.

Start a conversation

Services · Two complementary areas

From an idea to a project.

Our approach is rooted in the belief that sustainability becomes meaningful when ideas move into action. Good on you. Good for the planet. Good for your pocket.

01CreateWriteGuide
A team working on a project around a large table
From concept · to professional project documentation

Sustainable Project Development

Have a sustainability idea but don't know how to structure it?

AZEcodesign can help transform your idea into a clear, compelling, and actionable project, from concept to professional project documentation.

Concept developmentProject researchSustainable strategyCreative directionProject designMethodologyGoals & objectivesWork plansBudget frameworksImpact indicatorsPartnership conceptsProject proposalsFunding / grant proposalsPresentation materials

Implementation guidanceOnce the project is approved, the client or implementation partners take the lead. AZEcodesign can remain involved through an optional advisory period, providing creative direction, problem-solving, project reviews, and guidance during the initial 3–6 months of implementation.

02RethinkRedesignTransform
Hands-on · redesign, upcycling, creative transformation

Rethink & Redesign Mentoring

See what others overlook. Create what others don't expect.

A mentoring and creative-development platform focused on fashion, clothing, materials, redesign, and upcycling. Through mentoring and hands-on experiences, participants learn to:

01Rethink what already exists02Redesign with intention03Transform materials into something new
Fashion designersStudentsArtistsCostume designersMakersCraftersFashion entrepreneursSmall brandsCreative professionals

FormatsIndividual mentoring, group workshops, creative project mentoring, and corporate & organizational workshops.

TAOW · The methodology behind AZEcodesign

The Alchemy
of Waste™

Changing the way we see resources. TAOW is based on a simple premise: what if we stopped seeing discarded materials as waste and started seeing them as resources with untapped potential?

01RethinkLook beyond what we call “waste” and recognize the resources, potential, and value that may already be there.
02RedesignCreative thinking, material exploration, sustainability, and design, brought together with intention.
03TransformPractical action. Materials, spaces, and ideas turned into something new.

A methodology developed by Aguida Zanol through years of research, experimentation, design, and hands-on practice. It connects creative thinking, material exploration, sustainability, design, and practical action.

Sketching ideas in a notebook
Field notes · research, experimentation, designRethink → Redesign → Transform
The book · On its way

The process, the principles, and the how, years in the making.

TAOW will soon have a home of its own: the book, the method, and the stories behind it.

Be the first to know

In the making · Materials, hands, and second chances

Where the method meets the material.

Denim reworked, plastic sorted, patterns drafted, scraps turned into strips. The alchemy is not a metaphor: it is a table, a machine, a pair of hands, and a second look.

01Denim, reworked. The garment that no longer fits becomes the next one.
Strips of fabric cut for weaving
02Scraps into strips. Off-cuts are the raw material, not the leftover.
03Plastic, seen twice. A bottle is a conversation about the ocean.
Hands arranging lace and fabric scraps
04Redesign with intention. Lace, memory, and a reference photo on the table.
05Patterns drafted. Mentoring starts with a pencil and a curve.
06Waste into knowledge. Knowledge into technology. Technology into solutions.
Hands guiding fabric through a sewing machine
07Transform. Something new, made with what was already there.
Scroll07 moments

Projects · Every project has its own fingerprint

Things we've seen differently.

A discarded material.An empty space.A community with an idea.A garment waiting for another life.A problem looking for a creative solution.One person can see a possibility. A community can make it happen.
Plastic washed up on a beach
Circular design & fashionIn process

The Sea Urchin Collection

What if plastic could become a conversation about the ocean?

FocusPlastics in the ocean: awareness & fundraisingLocationSan Francisco Bay Area, CA
A seamstress at work in a community workshop
Community & social impact

The Sewing Hub

What if discarded textiles could bring a community together?

FocusEmpowering community through innovation, creativity, and circular sewing practicesLocationOakland, CA
A café corner with plants and natural light
Community enterpriseProposed

Caffè & Style

What if a café could become a place to learn, make, repair, and connect?

ConceptCommunity café · Sewing & repair studio · Circular creativity hub · Community project spacePartnerThe Latina CenterLocationDowntown Richmond, CA
A crane sorting recyclable material
Sustainable innovation & technology

T.O.R. — Transforming Recyclables

What if waste could become knowledge, and knowledge could become technology?

FocusWaste into knowledge, knowledge into technology, technology into sustainable solutionsLocationBelo Horizonte & Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Community & social impact
  • The Treasure ProjectLearning together for people, planet and prosperity · The Lagoinha ChurchTreasure Island, SF · CA
  • The Sewing HubCircular sewing practicesOakland · CA
  • Caffè & StyleCommunity enterprise & creative activation pilotRichmond · CA
  • The Asian Heritage CelebrationCommunity sustainable fashion show · The SAFE CenterConcord & Richmond · CA
  • The Asian Circular CollectionCircular fashion show · The Latina CenterRichmond · CA
  • Christmas of LoveDesign & making for clients, families and employees · Catholic CharitiesSanta Clara County · CA
  • Stuffed with LoveFundraising show · SFLove & Pomeroy Rehab CenterSan Francisco · CA
Circular design & fashion
  • Sea Urchin CollectionPlastics in the ocean · awareness & fundraisingIn process
  • RUST CollectionSpecial upcycle project · Upcyclers of the Bay Area, Gia CarrascosoSan Carlos · CA
  • MAG-PROSustain the style, restore the space · Historical warehouse, community spaceMagnolia St, Oakland · CA
  • Urban BeansRedesign of furniture, chairs & lampsOakland · CA
  • TOG ProjectLab & store · fundraising · Bethel Christian ChurchSan Francisco · CA
Sustainable innovation & technology
  • T.O.R. — Transforming RecyclablesWaste → knowledge → technology → sustainable solutionsBelo Horizonte · BR
  • T.O.R. — Center for Sustainable Processes & TechnologyRio de Janeiro · BR
  • F5 — Center for Sustainable ProjectsPaola ZanolSan Francisco · CA
  • SINN LAB—
Workshops & organizational projects
  • The Clay Coil ProjectProject for clients and employees · Catholic Charities of Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County · CA
  • Christmas of LoveCatholic Charities of Santa Clara CountySanta Clara County · CA
  • The Treasure ProjectThe Lagoinha ChurchSan Francisco · CA

Challenge → Idea → Approach → Outcome. Each case study, told in full, is on its way.

The next project could be yours
The atelier: a sewing machine beneath a wall of sketches
Aguida Zanol · Eco-designerThe atelier

Meet Aguida · The person behind the platform

Transforming waste into resources, ideas, and opportunities.

Multidisciplinary Eco-DesignerUpcycling ExpertProject & Creative Mentor

For more than 30 years, Aguida has been curious about what happens when we look beyond what something is and imagine what it could become. That curiosity became a practice, a methodology, and a body of work spanning community projects, circular fashion, sustainable innovation, and workshops across California and Brazil.

At the heart of it is The Alchemy of Waste™, developed through years of experimentation, research, design, and collaboration.

AZEcodesign =The platformWhere ideas become practical, sustainable projects.
TAOW =The methodologyRethink · Redesign · Transform.
Aguida Zanol =The personCreator, expert, and mentor behind them.

Our impact · United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Projects that contribute to six global goals.

AZEcodesign's projects contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with particular relevance to education, decent work, innovation, sustainable communities, responsible consumption, and climate action.

4Quality educationSDG 4
8Decent work & economic growthSDG 8
9Industry, innovation & infrastructureSDG 9
11Sustainable cities & communitiesSDG 11
12Responsible consumption & productionSDG 12
13Climate actionSDG 13

Service menu · Tailored to each project

Investment follows the scope.

Our services are tailored to the scope, objectives, and complexity of each project. Investment is determined according to the specific needs and level of engagement.

Sustainable Project Development01

  • Concept & strategy
  • Project development & writing
  • Partnership & funding support
  • Implementation guidance

Rethink & Redesign02

  • Individual mentoring
  • Group workshops
  • Creative project mentoring
  • Corporate & organizational workshops

Custom Projects03

  • Bespoke sustainability projects
  • Creative collaborations
  • Events & special initiatives

Contact · Have an idea?

Let's talk.

Tell us about your challenge, idea, or project. We'll explore what AZEcodesign can develop with you.

We reply personally. No newsletters, no automation.