Rhode Island residents Mary Gervais, right, and Cindy Bogart recently launched a website to help people connect to past practices and materials. (Maaike Bernstrom)
It’s designed to help visitors repurpose items and materials, from antique plumbing to reclaimed wood. It’s about building new from old. It’s about buying local.
The cupolas on top of the large barn were restored with wood that came from an old barn that was donated for the project.
All of the wood was sourced from Danish manufacture Dinesen, which would otherwise have discharged and burned part of the material, while windows were sourced from old buildings that had been renovated.
Recycled concrete, repurposed double-glazing and discarded flooring boards were all used in the construction of Upcycle Studios, a Copenhagen housing development designed by Lendager Group.
Source: Lendager Group uses recycled materials to build Copenhagen townhouses
SAWTOOTH BENCH BY: DURODECO $2,050 THE SAWTOOTH BENCH IS MADE FROM RECLAIMED AMERICAN OAK BARN BOARDS FROM VIRGINIA. THE GEOMETRY OF THE PIECE, ITS NAMESAKE “SAWTOOTH” PATTERN, DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE DISTINCTIVE END GRAIN OF THE WOOD. GLASS LEGS SLOT INTO THE BUTCHER-BLOCK STYLE SEAT TO CREATE A CONNECTION BETWEEN NEW AND OLD.
Source: Sawtooth Bench – In The Pursuit
9 Factory St. is due for demolition in mid-June. Photo by Terry Smith.
“We’re focusing on iconic aspects of the Factory Street building, and repurposing materials where it makes sense to capture that building’s character as part of the new construction,” Ken Johnson, D.O., executive dean of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, said in the release. “We have found some beautiful and creative ways to honor 9 Factory St. in the new facility’s café,” added Johnson, who also serves as OU’s chief medical affairs officer.
Source: New medical school cafe to honor Factory St. building | Campus News | athensnews.com
“We have all this wood,” he said. “What else are we going to do with it?”
Source: “Sawstainability” In Action At Wake Forest – Old Gold & Black
“I’m more interested in diving a bit deeper, understanding the real history behind these abandoned spaces, and understanding how a ruin can be preserved and transformed into something altogether new. And I’m interested in the people behind these efforts, which are never easy—going well beyond the developers and architects that tend to get most of the credit.”
Source: Interview: Dan Barasch on Ruin and Redemption in Architecture – COOL HUNTING
Zulkarnain Saidin poses with pipes that he made in his home in Chemor, Perak April 1, 2019. — Pictures by Farhan Najib
Zulkarnain started making pipes about four years ago and he has made about 500 pipes, with half of them from the wood which are considered as waste.
Source: This pipe maker is giving wood a new lease of life by turning them into pipes | Life | Malay Mail
The Ottawa Antique & Vintage Market was held at Carleton University Saturday April 6, 2019. Brian Killeen’s Vint-Age Steampunk Industrial Lamps. ASHLEY FRASER / POSTMEDIA
“Riding down the back roads saving the past,” Killeen said with a twinkle in his eye. “I find all kinds of things.” Killeen’s Vint-Age Lamp lighting has now been shipped to customers across the United States and Europe and an imposing creation made a Royal Electric Company of Montreal gauge sits in the Parliament Hill office of his local MP.
Source: Firefighter’s steampunk lamps among antique and vintage show treasures | Ottawa Citizen
KOREY NOLAN
Korey Nolan built an award-winning surfboard made from Dunkin’ foam cups.
Nolan, who has been surfing for about a decade, said he was inspired to build the board for the California-based Creators & Innovators Upcycle Contest, an international competition that calls on contestants to repurpose waste by turning it into something that can be used in the ocean.
Source: This New Hampshire resident built a surfboard out of 700 foam Dunkin’ coffee cups – The Boston Globe
A family home was remodelled by the team at Retrouvius – the reclaimed flooring was specifically designed for hosting cocktail parties.
Some 26 years later, they now rule the roost of the London salvage scene, with both a warehouse trove of reclaimed products and a design studio that specialises in refurbishing top-end properties using rescued materials in a modern context.
Designer and architect Patricia Urquiola speaking at the 2019 Fortune Brainstorm Design conference in Singapore.
“If we use a material that has been used before to make something new, we have to add value to that new material.”
Source: For One Designer, the Materials Are the Message | Fortune
The sustainable installation is the winner of the 2019 City of Dreams competition. (Courtesy Somewhere Studio)
“Even though it’s a raw material that’s basically used for storage, it looks and behaves like processed cross-laminated timber,” he said. “When we began the project, it occurred to us that we had this big pile of wood staring at us that would otherwise be thrown away, so we decided we wanted to show off its quality and strength.”
Source: Somewhere Studio uses reclaimed CLT for 2019 City of Dreams pavilion – Archpaper.com
This bar counter at Hoppy Daze brewpub in Otay Mesa West was constructed from upcycled bowling alley lanes from the former Vista Entertainment Center, through a program to recycle construction materials. (Bruce DeMoss, Hoppy Daze)
“It was actually better than I envisioned,” he said. “When we were building it, we were like every day, this is going to be cool. It ended up above our expectations. We built it so that it was all re-purposed everything.”
Source: From bowling alley to brewpub, recycled lumber gets new life – The San Diego Union-Tribune
Image Credit: Paul Massey
Bricks were salvaged from the demolition of the building’s interior to create the wall of the side extension. Similarly, the wood ceiling joists are left exposed, giving an indication of how the structure fits together.
Source: IN THE RAW: IDEAS FOR EXPOSED BRICK WALLS | Livingetc
At the ReTuna shopping mall in Sweden everything for sale is recycled, thanks to its clever location.
Source: The shopping mall where everything is recycled – BBC News
From his humble beginnings in Belgium to his current home in Gravenwezel Castle, explore the sophisticated elegance behind one of today’s most prestigious tastemakers.
Erin and Keenyn Smith
A general contractor by day, Keenyn salvages used materials, and, by night, the Indy-based couple gets to work in their garage.
Source: The Maker: Smith & Co Creations – Indianapolis Monthly
Photo by Sasha Bogojev for Arrested Motion
Working with recycled wood doors and paneling pulled from old houses, Belgian artist Stefaan De Croock aka Strook constructs both large and small-scale geometric portraits.
Source: Geometric Portraits Constructed with Reclaimed Wood by ‘Strook’ | Colossal
Only in Texas…The Hat House
The Phoenix Commotion is a local building initiative created to prove that constructing homes with recycled and salvaged materials has a viable place in the building industry.
Source: Home – Phoenix Commotion
New Zealand-based artist Louise McRae works with pieces of discarded wood that are hand-split into small fragments and then carefully reassembled into intricate wall sculptures.
Source: Explosive Scrap Timber Assemblages by Louise McRae | Colossal
We were rummaging through when we saw a bundle of wooden shingles left over from when we had the house painted a few years ago. Immediately, Alberto said “Christmas tree!” and just as quickly, I said “Of course!” (Don’t try to figure out how we do this, it just is…)
Sera Hersham-Loftus
It’s the place where the rich and famous come for interiors inspiration. She likes to keep tight-lipped about her high-profile clientele, but Kate Moss, Yoko Ono and Lizzie Jagger are fans.
Source: The wonderfully eclectic world of a designer known as… the Salvage Queen
The Collage House — Mumbai, India
Visionary architects have met the challenge of green construction with flair and ingenuity, creating unique works of art that shirk the status quo. The results of their creativity are often beautiful.
Source: BOSS Magazine | Seven Impressive Homes Built with Recycled Materials
Crackedpots Holiday Shop encourages shoppers to reconsider the disposable nature of the season with thoughtful alternative gifts made from reclaimed materials!
Crackedpots Holiday Shop features fine art and craft by 40 local artists that utilize and upcycle waste materials.
Artwork in a variety of media will be on display and for sale including: metal, textiles, jewelry, assemblage, wood and collage.
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The Mangawhai home is almost entirely made from historic recycled materials. Photo / screenshot
NZ Herald
The centrepiece of the build was bringing nine enormous trusses made from the timber salvaged from Wellington’s Ferry Wharf, which was built in 1894.
Source: Grand Designs NZ: The recycled home made from Real Groovy and an old Wellington wharf – NZ Herald
All of the renovated buildings retain parts of the original construction. In 102 The Mill, these deliberately exposed frameworks are complemented by industrial-inspired lighting fixtures and minimalist, streamlined furnishings. Timber floors and warm fabrics help imbue the former factory with a sense of cozy warmth.
The home’s wooden floors are made from reclaimed barn floors, giving the space a farmhouse vibe.
Source: Bradley Cooper celebrates ‘A Star is Born’ with new townhouse
The first rule of thumb is to choose something solid and sturdy to support the weight of the basin – remember that it’ll be much heavier once it’s filled with water.
Source: How to upcycle a vanity unit – Upcycled vanity unit – Upcycle ideas
Art and wall light made from reclaimed Napa wine barrels
In our continuing effort to be environmentally conscious and recycle (and also make more awesome projects), we came up with this fun filled idea to reuse wine barrel rings in a unique way.
An architect’s rendering of The Resource Rows
“We keep excavating for new resources to turn into construction materials when we have so many things above ground that are super-accessible. We just need to find the innovations to use them,” says Lendager.
Source: Bricks and more, ta: recycling entire buildings – Positive News – Positive News
Donna Aspden and her husband Kevin are the original recyclers, having built and created more than 500 stunning headboards during the last 30 years, transforming discarded materials into pieces of art for clients to use in their most personal of personal space, their bedrooms.
Source: Headboards made of salvage the stuff of sweet dreams | The London Free Press
Dutch builder/artist and friend Niek Wagemans went to his American artist friend Butch Anthony to build a greenhouse from scratch. Using only salvaged and found materials on and around Butch’s massive estate, deep down Alabama, Niek built his slice of paradise…. Where one can grow plants, enjoy the view while having a hot bath and….listen to amazing music. Niek tried it all out himself, with the lovely appearance of singer/songwriter Emily Stilwell…..
Fitted with electrical sockets, a wood-burning stove sourced from the original mast-step, and a sail canvas door, the attention to detail is impressive. The shed has even been made watertight using marine resin. Boat Pod is a finalist in the Unique category.
“We’ve been absolutely blown away by the incredible, imaginative and innovative sheds entered into this year’s competition,” says Shed of the Year founder Andrew Wilcox. “I’ve judged the finalists eleven years running now, and it’s amazing to see how the sheds evolve each year as entrants take inspiration from others and realize that creating your own shed on a budget is a more than achievable project.”
Source: From floating retreat to vintage taxi: 2018’s Shed of the Year shortlist
If you can “Believe” it, superstar Cher is selling her four-bedroom, three-bedroom Beverly Hills home for only $2,499,000. This warm, inviting home has high ceilings and hardwood floors made from reclaimed wood throughout.
Source: Peek Inside Cher’s Beverly Hills ‘Retreat’ On Sale For $2.5 Mill | Beverly Hills, CA Patch
Now in its eighth year, GLEAN was created to help raise awareness about our consumption habits and inspire new ways of looking at trash as a resource. The program is a partnership between Metro, the government that manages the greater Portland area’s garbage and recycling system; Recology, a company that manages garbage and recycling facilities; and crackedpots, a local environmental arts nonprofit. Artists are selected each year by a jury of arts and environmental professionals.
GLEAN exhibit challenges ideas about waste; showcases artists at Bison Building, Aug. 3 – 25
Inspiration often arrives in unexpected packages. See how five local artists – Carolyn Drake, Liz Grotyohann, Benjamin Mefford, Brittany Rudolf and Eduardo Cruz Torres – transformed an unpredictable stream of trash from the Metro Central transfer station into art. Their works will be on display and sale at the Bison Building, 421 NE Tenth Ave., Portland. Opening reception from 6 p.m. to 9 Friday, Aug. 3. Ends Aug. 25. Gallery hours: Friday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. More details at Gleanpdx.org or 503-278-0725.
Source: GLEAN artists work through the weight of waste | Metro
Sara Essex Bradley
Participants can pick up supplies from The Green Project’s architectural salvage store and even grab selections of recycled paint.
Source: Salvations Design Competition Turns Trash into Furniture
The entrance to the office. Photo: Supplied
The premises, a previously unused diesel generator room, have indeed become a spectacular showcase for the virtues of salvaging both cast-off plant room space that might otherwise languish, and materials that would have ended up in landfill.
Source: Entire Sydney office fitted out with recycled materials and furniture wins sustainability award
Jason Utgaard
“It was a snowball effect leading to the intersection of my enhanced awareness of the sheer volume of material I was responsible for nationally distributing through my roles as a buyer/VP, and this surge of sustainably made products I saw while doing sourcing work,” he said.
Source: Meet the Ecopreneur Who Loves to Talk Trash | St. Thomas Newsroom
In this video I’ll be making a mini bar from Jerry can. I made a mini bar, but the same concept could be used to make storage for anything. All you need is to work on different shelving design.
BN Steel and Metals owner Mark Riffel calls the metal recycled dinosaur in front of his shop Rusty. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)
“There is a reuse side to things that [don’t] just have to be melted down and made into the same old piece of steel or plate or pipe. There’s a creative side.”
“Fish Fish” Mixed media 12″H x 16 1/4″W
I thought my art career would be as a painter but three years ago I signed up for my first art show and started working with recycled materials. At the time I had no idea that these assemblages would become my passion and take me along an entirely different artistic path.
Eindhoven-based designer Lucas Muñoz
Its creator was inspired by elbow joints in his own studio and scraps from a junkyard, and wondered how these could be applied in a different context.
Source: Totally Tubular: Industrial Furniture Engineered from Ventilation Ducts | Urbanist
Above, ‘The Igloo,’ by Cory Bonnett, whose exhibit, ‘Visions of Pittsburgh,’ will be on display this month at Shehady Gallery in the Strip District.
Working exclusively with reclaimed and salvaged raw materials, he transforms hardwood doors, stainless steel panels and fallen trees into works of art, bringing creative reuse and sustainability to his projects. One example in the show is a piece he created on a steel panel salvaged from the demolished Civic Arena.
Source: Artist creates ‘Visions of Pittsburgh’ with material connection to its past | TribLIVE
Kathy Jackson Bosley found inspiration for the arched entrance in a fine home magazine. The reclaimed pilasters between the doors are cast iron and weigh over 1,000 pounds. Note the detail in the ceiling. Travertine is used on the floor. The fountain was created from three separate pieces, all reclaimed. Rita LeBleu
The American Press has never visited a house that demonstrates so much attention to detail and creative use of reclaimed or salvaged building materials, including old world European architectural elements.
Source: Masterpiece-by-piece | Real Estate | americanpress.com
Wardrobe painted blue with Annie Sloan paint
All of the furniture restored and upcycled at the Rediscovery Centre is donated by members of the public who no longer want it, but not all furniture has upcycling potential. “We’re fussy about what we take,” Griffin explains.
Central to the design was shifting focus from aesthetics to long-term effects. As ABN AMRO stressed, the building “didn’t have to be as beautiful as possible, but as good as possible”. This meant end users were involved in the process, even going so far as to contribute their old company uniforms for recycling into acoustic textile plaster for the walls and ceilings. This inclusion creates social return and added social impact.
“This was good material that just happens to be waste. We, as designers, didn’t have the time to take this material – which can be an asset – into consideration. Since I always found the garbage bins outside factories more interesting than what they were manufacturing, I decided to use material that adds an innovative sort of flavour,” she says. “It was my retirement plan, using material that had been ‘retired’,” she adds.
Source: Meet the woman whose Retyrement Plan is upskilling and empowering craftsmen in Mumbai
In contrast to classical recycling, where new raw materials are obtained by shredding, the hotel focuses on upgrading and the deliberate misuse of used materials. Used objects are thus converted into completely new products.
Source: Would you overnight in a hotel made of waste materials? — BEAM Travel
