Building & Design Blog Blog

Building & Design Blog

The Building & Design Blog is the place for conversation and discussion about building projects, tools and equipment, materials and hardware, and environment & energy. Here, you'll find everything from application ideas, to news and industry trends, to hot topics and cutting edge innovations.

Previous in Blog: Dizzying Heights   Next in Blog: Five Reasons to Become a Civil Engineer
Close
Close
Close
15 comments

Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

Posted April 24, 2017 11:00 AM by MaggieMc

The Guess the Architecture post for last week was of a rather unique house by Lendager Arkitekter. The Upcycle House, as it’s called, was an experimental project “aimed at exposing potential carbon emission reductions through the use of recycled and upcycled building materials.”

This house was built by the Lendager Group, the same architects who recently curated Wasteland – from waste to architecture, an exhibit at the Danish Architecture Center (DAC) in Copenhagen. The exhibit, like the Upcycle House, is comprised of used building materials. The Lendager Group describes the exhibit as “showcasing the not so distant reality where residues and wastes are no longer seen as waste, but as the primary building materials in the development of our cities, homes and communities.”

The Lendager Group takes this stance in response to the fact that “right now, the built environment accounts for a large share of the global CO2 emissions and resource and energy consumption.” They see this as a problem that is going to grow exponentially since (using their statistics) the global population is currently growing by:

· Five school classes per minute,

· One packed metro train every two minutes, or

· An entire village with 10,000 inhabitants per hour

The exhibit itself is more than the pile of carefully arranged rubble that it appears to be, according to ArchDaily. The exhibit also contains a laundry list of information regarding the planet and the waste that we, as humans, produce. Wasteland is also a tactile experience, allowing you to move through the exhibit more freely, able to appreciate the components with all of your senses.

There are four main themes to Wasteland: cement, plastic, metal, glass, wood, and brick. Paired with each of these categories is a building project—one of which is the Upcycle House that started this post. Regardless of what you think of the style of this architecture—I know, I know, it’s modern—it does make you think about the waste produced in the building process, which is something engineers and consumers alike can appreciate.

For an old house kind of person, I’m surprisingly fond of the corkboard floor; perhaps one will show up in my home someday (albeit in a very, very tiny room). Feel free to donate a cork or two.

Image Credit: ArchDaily—I suggest taking a look at the full gallery!

Reply

Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Guru

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: by the beach in Florida
Posts: 33233
Good Answers: 1807
#1

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/24/2017 11:12 AM
__________________
All living things seek to control their own destiny....this is the purpose of life
Reply
Guru

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South of Minot North Dakota
Posts: 8378
Good Answers: 775
#2

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/24/2017 4:13 PM

Yep. Not new. In fact millions of people use repurposed material for construction and have been doing it for all of human history.

If anything the fact we as a society don't do as much now as was done in the past is the odd and rather sad part.

I for one have gotten into repurposing wood from commercial shipping pallets and large shipping crate framing the last year or so now that I have expanded my tool collection to have a fair level of woodworking tools.

It's not that I can afford to buy new lumber of specialty woods, I certainly can now , but rather that I have found that with a bit of cleanup work and dimensional recutting much of that 'low grade' structural wood stock' is some really nice and uniquely grained stuff!

I now have about 20 assorted shipping pallet frames of ~ 3' - 4' x 7' - 11' long that are made from full dimension 1.5' x 3' to 3.5' x 4+" rough cut oak and tight grain ash to process.

Unfinished it doesn't look like much but once through the planer and recut to common dimensions each of those pallet frames yields the equivalent of $150 - $250 worth of high grade store bought finish lumber!

Reply
Guru
Safety - Hazmat - New Member United States - US - Statue of Liberty - New Member Engineering Fields - Chemical Engineering - Old Hand

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 14331
Good Answers: 162
#3
In reply to #2

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/24/2017 4:44 PM

Yes, an old friend of mine used to make yard furniture and other items from discarded picket fences. Some of this stuff was very unique, and appeared well made.

They made a dime or two off it, I think.

I seem to recall Dennis Weaver (of Gunsmoke fame as Chester) had a home in Santa Fe, NM area (maybe it was Taos), made of recycled tires, wine bottles, cans, and lots of adobe. The thing was almost as ugly as a mud fence, but had its better points also.

__________________
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just build a better one.
Reply
Guru

Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Madison, WI.
Posts: 2092
Good Answers: 80
#6
In reply to #3

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 10:27 AM

Yep there are some strange housing options out West.

Follow some of the links from a search of "Earthships." Not my cup of tea, but interesting.

http://earthship.com/

__________________
Knowing is the end result of learning, not believing.
Reply
Guru
Safety - Hazmat - New Member United States - US - Statue of Liberty - New Member Engineering Fields - Chemical Engineering - Old Hand

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 14331
Good Answers: 162
#9
In reply to #6

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 4:25 PM

Out here in West Texas, in the old days, the vaqueros used to call them "dugouts".

Now there is a REAL Earthship. Including buffalo chip binders and fillers.

__________________
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just build a better one.
Reply
Guru

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South of Minot North Dakota
Posts: 8378
Good Answers: 775
#11
In reply to #9

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 7:48 PM

That reminds me. Last fall we got permission to cut hay in a drainage coulee a few miles from here that has what I suspect are the remnants of an original settlers sod house.

I need to go and do some digging and picture taking of that to see if it is what I think it is before the grass takes it over for the summer.

Reply
Guru
Safety - Hazmat - New Member United States - US - Statue of Liberty - New Member Engineering Fields - Chemical Engineering - Old Hand

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 14331
Good Answers: 162
#13
In reply to #11

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/26/2017 8:38 AM

You sure it is not the set for the Cavalry camp in Dances with Wolves?

__________________
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just build a better one.
Reply
Guru

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South of Minot North Dakota
Posts: 8378
Good Answers: 775
#14
In reply to #13

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/26/2017 3:13 PM

It's likely just some old settlers place from the mid/late 1800's to early 1900's time frame.

There are a lot of old settlers home sites like that around where I live. This is the first I found that gives me suspicions that it may be the intact remnants of a sod house though.

Reply
Guru
Safety - Hazmat - New Member United States - US - Statue of Liberty - New Member Engineering Fields - Chemical Engineering - Old Hand

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 14331
Good Answers: 162
#15
In reply to #14

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/27/2017 11:27 AM

Of course, in Great Britain, a sod house would be where the local sod lived.

__________________
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just build a better one.
Reply
Guru
Engineering Fields - Instrumentation Engineering - EE from the the Wilds of Pa.

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania
Posts: 2603
Good Answers: 63
#7
In reply to #3

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 4:04 PM

You are being kind to old Dennis. You could have listed the movie "Duel". I think most people remember the truck more than Dennis. Or how about that beautiful Plymouth Valient? A car worse than a Cavalier?

__________________
Remember when reading my post: (-1)^½ m (2)^½
Reply
Guru
Safety - Hazmat - New Member United States - US - Statue of Liberty - New Member Engineering Fields - Chemical Engineering - Old Hand

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 14331
Good Answers: 162
#8
In reply to #7

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 4:23 PM

I forgot that Movie was a Spielberg movie. Wow!

I used to get hopping mad every time I watched that one.

Never mind I already knew the ending. By the way, how did it end, again?

∫∫Road rage dsdt = Road rash at s=d t=∞, although the formalism for road rage probably should include proportional terms for beernemia, beernitis, humidity induced humility, and bee stings. Some other aggravating factors include an integer representing the number of "energy" drinks after t=0. Regular hot McDonald's coffee with the lid removed contributes as spill2.

__________________
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just build a better one.
Reply
Guru
Engineering Fields - Instrumentation Engineering - EE from the the Wilds of Pa.

Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania
Posts: 2603
Good Answers: 63
#10
In reply to #8

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 4:58 PM

Add to the aggravating factors a great big shot of steroids at the local dentist's office, in lieu of too often applied antibiotics. (tooth extraction) Wow am I hopping and bouncing today and have certainly been very uncivil with nearly every one I've been in contact with. I now know how my old dog felt when the veterinarian gave him a three month shot of the "Fountain of Youth". Just let someone pull out in front of me on the way home and..... I now understand why football players beat their wives.

__________________
Remember when reading my post: (-1)^½ m (2)^½
Reply Off Topic (Score 5)
Guru

Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: South of Minot North Dakota
Posts: 8378
Good Answers: 775
#12
In reply to #10

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 7:50 PM

" I now understand why football players beat their wives."

I was never into football but there were days where my Ex made me want to take it up for some odd reason. That or black out drinking for one of us. (not me.)

Reply Off Topic (Score 5)
Guru

Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: by the beach in Florida
Posts: 33233
Good Answers: 1807
#4
In reply to #2

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/24/2017 5:37 PM

Yeah wood is expensive, especially hard wood....but for many things it's easier to work with softwoods, like pine, and with some time spent picking some good figure can be found....oak and ash has many uses, good structural wood...great for furniture, tool boxes, shelves etc....

__________________
All living things seek to control their own destiny....this is the purpose of life
Reply
Guru
Safety - Hazmat - New Member United States - US - Statue of Liberty - New Member Engineering Fields - Chemical Engineering - Old Hand

Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Lubbock, Texas
Posts: 14331
Good Answers: 162
#5
In reply to #4

Re: Wasteland—From Waste to Architecture

04/25/2017 9:15 AM

Mesquite and pecan are lovely woods for making furniture, fancy library shelving, etc.

On smaller projects, I like to work with sized poplar planks.

__________________
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Just build a better one.
Reply
Reply to Blog Entry 15 comments
Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Copy to Clipboard

Users who posted comments:

James Stewart (6); Phys (2); rashavarek (1); SolarEagle (2); tcmtech (4)

Previous in Blog: Dizzying Heights   Next in Blog: Five Reasons to Become a Civil Engineer

Advertisement