Architect Andrew Franz used reclaimed timber extensively in this renovation of a loft apartment in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood, transforming a small space into a bright and comfortable home for four.
A growing number of designers, architects, and builders are catching on to the goldmine that is construction waste, and have started recycling wood, plastic, and metal, and upcycling rubble to create entirely new materials for use in home design.
The use of re-used materials in construction has the potential of reducing the embodied carbon of construction and can reduce the demand for virgin materials as well as reducing construction waste. Embodied carbon in the construction phase of a building’s life typically equates to 50%/70% of its total life cycle emissions.
Photography: Eric Isaacson of SquareOne Media
Midcentury architect Bruce Goff built a plethora of organic buildings across the Midwest and beyond, combining imaginative forms with found and reclaimed materials, including ribbed Quonset huts, feathers and cullet.
Source: Searing House by outsider architect Bruce Goff asks for $975,000 – The Spaces
The ‘Pre-Landfill’ by Karlis Kukainis from Mackintosh School of Architecture
The Judges thought that this “playful project exhibits the art in architecture and shows that there can be fun beyond science”. It does this by testing the limits of reuse practices of reclaimed materials from demolished buildings which will be key to how we tackle the Climate Emergency.
Source: Winners of Scottish Student Awards for Architecture 2022 revealed | Scottish Construction Now
Artist Bordalo II was in El Paso working on installing a large-scale mural on the One San Jacinto building in Downtown El Paso. This large mountain lion is part of a Big Trash Animals series of murals that he’s been installing all over the world using reclaimed materials.
Source: Artist Bordalo II
Integrated sidetables were added to the lounge chairs
“People who sit in the chairs and touch the surfaces can ‘read’ the story of the furniture and understand where the materials came from. This connection to place and the playful character of the furniture is a powerful antidote to the usual impersonal, sterile environment of a hospital.”
Source: Waste firehoses turned into outdoor furniture for Maggie’s Southampton
Arthur Pululo busy with a unique piece.
Elizma Swanepoel’s unique furniture made from recycled wood and materials such as old-fashioned pressed ceilings has become sought-after collector’s pieces that will be a focal point in any home.
Source: Unique furniture art from recycled materials – Kormorant
Revitalizing urban environments with consciously repurposed materials and more practices are the brand’s ethos.
Source: How Sustainability Leader 1 Hotels Chose Its New Locations
This short documentary follows his process for creating sculptures that are contradicting in the sense that they’re both beautiful and, well, junk.
Lloyd Alter’s cabin in Shoe Lake, Ontario, Canada. Lloyd Alter
The doors were grabbed from an office renovation, probably installed in the ’80s and replaced in the ’90s. The dining room table is cut out of a bowling alley, on a base my dad made; it was in his cottage for years. My dad also made the sideboard—it’s made from the floors of shipping containers.
Source: My Forest Cabin Is Built on Stilts With Recycled Materials
The rear of the home has multi-level patios and sitting areas and a heated pool and spa. Eddie Avenue Photography
This unusual new spec house in the Virginia suburbs offers an old-fashioned mix of hardwood flooring milled from trees on the property and reclaimed materials from the former house on the site that’s been paired with ultra-modern features.
Urselmann Interior’s office is in Düsseldorf
These include existing wooden and terrazzo flooring that was salvaged during the renovation, as well as heaters obtained from resource-efficient building material platform Concular.
Source: Urselmann Interior renovates own office using recycled materials
Photo via Orcas Island Realty
Instead of a tiny beach cabin, it’s a 1,619 square foot home incorporating reclaimed materials and bright accents.
Source: Enjoy Lopez Island living at its best with this already-famous home for sale
Photo credit: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge
Hotel Brooklyn Bridge will have you booking a room for the views of the eponymous man-made wonder yet reveling in the amenities upon your arrival. Billed as a hotel of “sustainable luxury,” the five-star hotel was designed by location artists using reclaimed materials and native greenery, lending to the tranquility of the space.
Source: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge Is Secretly One of NYC’s Most Wellness-Focused Retreats
Image credit: Osborn House / Alan Jenson
“Just like a certain song or fragrance can have an incredible emotional impact on us, we believe design has the same power to evoke positive memories and feelings,” said Boronkay. “The combination of reclaimed materials paired with rich and tactile fabrics, curated objects from around Europe and personal touches in the different spaces will make you feel like you are being embraced by an interesting individual.”
Source: Linda Boronkay designs Osborn House – a whimsical country retreat in Australia • Hotel Designs
© Luna Wilds
Luna Wilds, an “off-grid” spa just outside Brighton in East Sussex, is a new retreat built with reclaimed materials, says Jane Dunford in The Guardian.
They monitored and compared the material’s performance, finding that the crumb rubber had higher impact-resistance, toughness, ductility, damping ratio and better thermal and acoustic insulation. “The results clearly show that crumb rubber cement is a viable and promising alternative to conventional concrete,” says author of the study Professor Yan Zhuge.
Source: Concrete Made From Old Tires Proves Tougher and More Sustainable – COOL HUNTING®
This van has a distinctive Nordic feel (Picture: D+)
‘It’s pretty tragic that there’s no second-hand market value as some vehicles might be 20 years-old but they only have only 40,000 miles on the clock. I guess we are scrap angels – we see their potential and love the challenge of giving them a new purpose by turning them into something fun, useful and really cool.’
Source: How this scrap junkie turns old vans into unique homes and venues | Metro News
Crafted from rustic barn board and other reclaimed materials, it’s multi-purpose, practical and storybook-pretty.
Source: This little DIY house is a feather in his cap | The Star
The carpets in the VISION EQXX are made from 100% bamboo fiber, and the seats are made of mushroom fibers and cactus fibers.
Mercedes-Benz AG – Communications/Mercedes-Benz AG
The interior of the VISION EQXX is free of animal products — its seats are made of mushroom fibers and cactus fibers. The carpets are made of bamboo, and the interior plastic is made out of trash that would typically be in a landfill. Using these materials halve the carbon footprint of leather, according to Mercedes.
Source: Mercedes’ unveils futuristic electric car concept : NPR
One of these goals relates to ROCKWOOL’s offering reclaimed materials services, Rockcycle. The service facilitates the take back of ROCKWOOL stone wool products from construction or demolition sites and ensures the material is reused or recycled, helping to address the challenge of construction waste accounting for more than one-third of all solid waste globally.
We used reclaimed materials where possible – the bathroom surfaces were all made from reclaimed school laboratory worktops.
We also believe in repurposing pieces where possible and encourage our clients to invest in ‘future heirlooms’.
Source: Meet The Interior Designers: Maddux Creative | sheerluxe.com
Zakharevich’s house tells the story of his attachment to Provincetown.
“It’s easier to make something with three two-by-fours and a piece of plywood,” Zakharevich says. Instead, he has taken the hard road, scouring dumpsters, construction sites, and beaches for used wood and then doing the tedious work of removing nails, sanding, and cleaning it before finding just the right use for it.
Source: Board by Board, the Detritus of Old Provincetown Becomes a Home – The Provincetown Independent
Sarah Roseman
Roseman collected the materials from house renovation and demolition sites found around Eindhoven in The Netherlands. From there, she repurposed the materials to take on new forms.
Source: Discarded Materials Become Molten Memories: A Collaged Rug Installation
1 Hotel Toronto, by Rockwell Group
Intrinsic in the mission of all three designers is the desire to prove that sustainable interior design methods are just as useful and effective as environmentally unfriendly counterparts. “When you’re working with waste it can obviously come with negative connotations,” El Baz says. “But through good design and good material research, we’re trying to show that there really isn’t an aesthetic difference in the outcome.”
Source: How interior designers are fighting waste – Design Week
A simple form with a steeply pitched roof and some quirky detailing makes this house stand out in its suburban setting. Image: Camille Khouri
The owner also found “these beautiful old rimu doors, which add to the industrial aesthetic inside. The main front door has stained glass panels. We were trying to balance the use of reclaimed materials with the thermal performance of the building, so these internal doors were an easy addition.”
The aim of the Super Circular Department Store project was to reimagine waste materials as a valuable local resource by exploring how department stores could create marketable stock from their own refuse.
Source: GoodWaste repurposes Selfridges scrap materials to create homeware line
Working with the existing layout and in a bid to reduce waste where possible, many areas around the home which still functioned perfectly received a light touch, whilst other rooms were transformed with reclaimed materials and timeless decor.
Source: Photos: House Renovation With Light-Touch Interior Design, London
Reclaimed materials have been used where possible. The handrails on the first floor were made from plywood cut-offs from the interior cladding on the ground floor while outdoor seating furniture is formed from reclaimed concrete. All interior doors are reclaimed from the Reykjavik city recycling centre and the textile woollen curtain room partition in the studio was taken from the client’s previous family business inventory from the 1960s.
Source: Studio Bua turns Icelandic barn into artist’s studio
Scotia Lodge is so much more than just a hotel, rather it is a piece of the region’s rich and storied history.
Similar to the other ventures under the Humboldt Social brand, the design aesthetic of Scotia Lodge highlights the history and beauty of the North Coast, with an emphasis on reclaimed materials, vintage furnishings and lots of natural light.
Source: Combining comfort with cannabis | InspireDesign Innovative vision for today’s hotel
Julie Denesha/ Performing on an improvised stage, trombonist Trevor Turla plays to the gathered crowd at The Raj Ma Hall, an outdoor concert venue in the Historic Northeast.
The yard is distinctive thanks to three rustic houses built from reclaimed materials. They’re the work of Roger MacBride, the sculptor and artist who lives here.
Wallmakers architects’ brick Pirouette House
A brick house in Trivandrum, in the Indian state of Kerala, was built to maximise the performance of the materials used by its designers, Wallmakers architects, who completed the building with reclaimed timber and metal.
Source: Wallmakers architects’ brick Pirouette House | Floornature
Marine Serre spring 2021Photo: Courtesy of Marine Serre
Marine Serre’s Magic Carpets:
A handful of Marine Serre’s burgundy jackets, skirts, and dresses were made from reclaimed carpets; each is one-of-a-kind.
Source: Shop the Sustainable Fashion Highlights of the Spring 2021 Collections | Vogue
[Photo: Room & Board]
The Forest Service is eager to support efforts to reclaim wood because it means fewer trees will be felled; it now coordinates with the city of Baltimore to identify properties destined for demolition and sends in crews from companies with expertise in deconstruction, including Brick+Board.
Source: Room & Board’s most beautiful furniture uses 400-year-old wood
Cliff Williams / The Outlook Firefighters from the Eagle Creek Volunteer Fire Department served as pallbearers at the funeral of Leonard Cannie Mckelvey Thursday.
McKelvey was laid to rest in a casket made from reclaimed barn wood looking over the Eagle Creek Baptist Church and the Eagle Creek Volunteer Fire Department, both of which the carpenter helped build.
Milan 2016: London design studio Pinch has unveiled a limited edition of its Nim coffee table, which combines plaster and resin composite material Jesmonite with powdered copper.
Described by the manufacturers as “a safe alternative to fibreglass and a lightweight alternative to cast concrete”, Jesmonite is made by mixing gypsum plaster powder with acrylic resin.
The property has a ski lodge and 11 ski runs. HALL AND HALL
The estate offers every conceivable outdoor activity, starting with 11 private ski runs, plus a ski cabin made from reclaimed barn wood.
Many of the windows in the home are not windows at all—they’re doors, turned sideways and repurposed as large awning-style windows. Margaret adds, “We don’t use air conditioners. We have no need for that in the summer because we get such a wonderful breeze through the house.” Ty Cole
Source: Tour This Houseboat on The Rockaways | Architectural Digest
Triest Verlag
“The preservation and qualitative reuse and repurposing of existing building stock means: –architectural relevance is gained through complexity and multiplicity of meaning (instead of through form) –Identity, longevity, and historical and social continuity are bolstered –Knowledge of building culture and construction is secured – The simplicity, durability, and sustainability of building construction, building materials, and technology are challenged and promoted.
Source: The Case for Upcycling in Architecture | Architect Magazine
Holly Springs resident Mark Whitlock used his over 30 years of experience in the salvaging business to construct a building from mostly recycled materials. This building is the first new one in the Town Center District.
“All of the floor has been reclaimed out of a building in Pennsylvania, which used to be a part of an old school house,” Whitlock said. “A building in Kentucky was taken down by a fire, so I salvaged about six tractor trailer loads of it and turned it into furniture. I also brought back 13 tractor trailer loads of lights and light fixtures from Texas to use to create my own light fixtures. Every light fixture in the house was made from these materials and the ones I didn’t use for the light fixtures in my h
“It’s an industrial sewing machine and would have been operated by several women at the same time,” Jill says. “We added a glass panel so you can see through to the mechanics as you eat.”
Source: Inside a vintage-filled Belfast home brimming with clever upcycling ideas | IMAGE.ie
An oyster reef made of old hockey sticks being installed at homes Wednesday in Cape Coral. CHUCK?BALLARO
It is called the “Rinks to Reefs” program, where the broken sticks from the FGCU hockey team are used to make oyster reefs to be placed in the water, attached to docks, at local residences, where the oysters can grow and help clean the canal water.
The Zippered Pavilion is constructed of Zippered Wood technology, which uses short lengths of waste 2x4s.
Many commercial buildings have a life cycle of about 10 years (think about strip malls and office parks, for example), and yet most architects approach their work as if it’s permanent. “Architects never think about how their buildings come down,” Swackhamer said. “There is no incentive to think about decay.”
Source: Forget Sustainable Construction—It’s Time for Sustainable Deconstruction – CU Denver News
© Cory Marie Podielski Sparrow Kettner, 36, and her husband Keith Smith, 29, converted an old, yellow school bus into their future home. They are traveling musicians in a band called The Resonant Rogues.
Sales of the used, bright yellow vehicles, called “skoolies” by their owners, have risen in some markets during the recession as more Americans shift toward a nontraditional, more affordable and socially distanced way to live.
Source: Americans are converting more used school buses into tiny homes during the pandemic
Anderson Media: Danna Sanderson at the Foundary in Sault Ste. Marie.
“The minute we buy a building, I’m in there with chisels and hammers,” said Danna. “The point of buying an old building isn’t to tear down everything, it’s to save what you can.”
Source: A passion for preservation: Sault Ste. Marie entrepreneur helps revive downtown
In this Victorian house in London, Maria Speake – House & Garden’s Interior Designer of the Year – has cleverly reorganised the layout and made inventive use of the salvaged materials for which her company Retrouvius is known.
Credit: Bohten.
The eyewear frames are made from reclaimed materials and wood which are found in West Africa.
Source: 14 Black-Owned Ethical and Sustainable Brands to Support
The Barn, the luxury cottage that’s part of The Pig hotel, Bridge Place, near Canterbury, Kent, England PAUL ALLEN/ANDFOTOGRAPHY.COM
Also, seven charming, double-bedded Kentish Hop Pickers’ huts on stilts alongside the river, have each been made from reclaimed materials.
Source: Safe Stays In Five Luxury Countryside Hotels Reopening From July 2020
The Prairie Barn Brothers are taking on their biggest project yet: the deconstruction of a 126 x 68 two-storey timber frame barn. (Stefanie Davis/CTV News)
“There’s so many different unique applications you can do with the barn wood that just makes it stunning,” he said. “We regularly get cedar, fir, spruce and spine as the major types of wood.”
Source: Preserving the history of deconstructed Sask. barns | CTV News
Wagh has expertise in historic renovation and adaptive reuse. For those projects she researches the building’s past uses and historical significance, prepares nominations for the National Registry of Historic Places, and helps clients navigate historic tax credits.
Source: Notable Women in Construction and Design: Vaishali Wagh
