Rematerial – From Waste to Architecture

Nov 7, 2011

REMATERIAL

From Waste to Architecture

 

by Alejandro Bahamón, Maria Camila Sanjinés.

Image and text courtesy of the Publisher
Publisher : Norton Architecture
340 pages – 8.4 x 9.7 in
Language: English
ISBN: 978-0-393-73314-3

How someone else’s waste can become the next designer’s building material.

Everyday, millions of tons of garbage are dumped into landfills and consigned to perpetual disuse. But when creativity meets resourcefulness, waste can become the material for building. Never before in history has the impact of man on this planet been so important. The construction industry is one of the most polluting in the world, so contemporary architects can play a fundamental role by using waste, and—what’s more, ingenuity—to convert it into structures that are useful, imaginative, and beautiful. In our society, garbage is considered filthy, and we want only to hide it from sight. Rematerial features projects that rescue discarded materials from paper cups to cargo containers and transform them into imaginative, attractive, efficient buildings and projects that are sustainable, innovative, even daring from a conventional perspective.

Rematerial brings to light a movement of diverse professionals from around the world who address this fundamental theme: the reuse of materials with architectonic purpose. Though the results are as varied as the designers, all their proposals stem from the intention of giving new life to what had been thrown out.

Complementing the built work shown here, the book presents a series of initiatives aimed at promoting the use of waste in architecture, and articles that illustrate a wide panorama of the contemporary recycling culture.

Ecologies of Inception will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students, educators, and professional architects and designers interested in sustainable design and seeking to develop conceptual and design tools commensurate with the magnitude and urgency of the climate emergency.

About the author:

Alejandro Bahamón, an architect, photographer, and editor of architecture books, is the author of numerous publications on contemporary architecture, including Sketch Plan Build, The Magic of Tents, Treehouses, Glass Houses, Houses on the Edge, and (with Ana María Álvarez), Light Color Sound. He lives in Barcelona.

Help us to spread the word across your network and with your friends.

Share this post!

You may also like..

Reuse is common sense: FCRBE campaign

Reuse is common sense: FCRBE campaign

Reusing building materials is common sense. But is it feasible? How can we make it happen? This video gives an insight into the construction industry’s waste problem and encourages more reuse amongst construction professionals.

read more
ReWind LGBTQI+ Monument

ReWind LGBTQI+ Monument

Watch the short documentary and discover how the synergy of different professionals and organisations created this amazing intervention of place-making.

read more
Share This