Tag: upcycling | ArchDaily

Pavilions in Urban Spaces: On the Experimentation, Recycling, and Reuse of Materials

Agustina Iñiguez — Thu, 15 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

How do pavilions emerge in architecture? What role do they play in urban spaces? Beyond the multiple interpretations that exist around the world, the pavilion, as an architectural principle and typology, tends toward extroversion, often associated with a centrifugal nature and visual openness toward the horizon, which is linked to its origins as a tent offering shelter from the elements. Pavilions are usually identified as isolated and independent structures that can promote lateral openings in the urban space, panoramic or introspective views, technological reflections, and material experiments that are recognizable from the outside or once inside.

From Disposable to Sustainable: The Transformation of Recycled Polyurethane into High-Performance Products

Eduardo Souza — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 06:45:00 +0000

Polyurethane (PU) started as a solution to a 1930s shortage, but today it's a key material in industries from insulation to cushioning. Invented in 1937 by Otto Bayer and his team in Germany, PU was originally designed as a cheap, versatile alternative to rubber. It quickly became popular in coatings and adhesives for its strong bonding and protective properties. PU is made by reacting polyols and isocyanates, which generates heat and, in the presence of expansion agents such as water or gases, creates bubbles that cause the material to expand, resulting in a foam with adjustable density and structure. Its flexibility allowed PU to revolutionize industries with products like insulation and padding. However, its durability and non-biodegradability have raised environmental concerns. To address this, companies like Purman are leading the charge in recycling PU waste, helping to reduce its environmental impact while promoting more sustainable alternatives.

From Favela to the World: The Story Behind the Lá da Favelinha Cultural Center

Camilla Ghisleni — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 07:30:00 +0000

In Belo Horizonte’s Aglomerado da Serra, Brazil’s third-largest favela complex with 50,000 residents, the Lá da Favelinha Cultural Center stands out as a vibrant hub of art and education. Founded in 2015 by the multifaceted artist Kdu do Anjos, the striking red building that stands out in the outskirts has gained recognition in both national and international architectural circles, earning several prestigious awards Yet, the recent renovation by Coletivo LEVANTE—honored as one of the Best New Architectural Practices of 2024—represents far more than vivid colors and bold design. It symbolizes the creativity and potential of the community itself. As a space for support and inspiration, Lá da Favelinha reflects a collective, democratic vision that merges the community’s dreams with the dedication of its founders.

"One Step at a Time": An Interview with Coletivo LEVANTE

Susanna Moreira — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Centered on the development of architectural projects in favelas and peripheries, the work of Coletivo LEVANTE showcases a deep sensitivity to the unique characteristics and nuances of these environments. According to the group, "the recognition of what already exists and is attributed with values lived and earned by the favela residents — landscapes, constructions, identities, and relationships" is what they seek as the raw material for their projects. This approach is evident in projects such as Centro Cultural Lá da Favelinha and House in Pomar do Cafezal, winner of the 2023 Building of the Year Award by ArchDaily.

Casting Furniture with Upcycled Plastics and Urban Debris: Los Colados Project

Enrique Tovar — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 07:30:00 +0000

For decades, our society and the development of our built environment have been strongly associated with intensive extractive processes. While these methods were fundamental to the growth of urban areas, they also laid the groundwork for significant challenges that contemporary generations face today. Nowadays, construction debris accumulates on the peripheries of our cities, and plastic waste floats in the oceans.

Afterlife of Pavilions: Exploring Reuse in Temporary Architecture

Clara Ott — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Temporary pavilions and installations, such as those used in events, exhibitions, or festivals, present themselves as a great challenge when addressing the circular economy in architecture due to their ephemeral condition. It seems contradictory to address resource management and try to extract the maximum value from the materials and minimize waste and pollution while designing a structure that is meant to be used for a limited period of time. However, there are several strategies to rethink the way we are designing these structures in order to promote circularity.

3D Printed Interior with Upcycled Plastic: Reducing Waste, Enhancing Design

Valeria Montjoy — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 07:30:00 +0000

“Our planet is choking in plastic,” states the United Nations. While the man-made material has many valuable uses, our addiction to single-use plastic products has led to severe economic, health and environmental issues. Roughly one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, and five trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide –used just once, then thrown away. Plastics and microplastics have found their way into every corner of our natural environment, from the peaks of the highest mountains to the depths of the deepest oceans. So much so, that they have become part of the Earth’s fossil record and created an entirely new marine microbial habitat known as the “plastisphere.”

Returning the Building to the Soil: an Interview with the Architect and Scientist Mae-Ling Lokko

Romullo Baratto — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Agriculture and the food industry seem to have little in common with architecture, but it is precisely the overlap of these three areas that interests Ghanaian-Filipino scientist and architect Mae-ling Lokko, founder of Willow Technologies based in Accra, Ghana. Working with recycling agricultural waste and biopolymer materials, Lokko searches for ways to transform the so-called agrowaste into building materials.

Winners Announced for a School Made from Recycled Plastic in Mexico

Christele Harrouk — Sat, 14 Sep 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Archstorming, an architectural platform that organizes international competitions, has released the results for the Tulum Plastic School contest. In fact, participants were challenged to design a school made of recycled plastic, tackling the current issue of pollution in Mexico.

The Paris Researcher Pioneering a New Way to Recycle Building Materials

Samuel Medina — Sun, 18 Aug 2019 08:00:00 +0000

Anna Saint Pierre's Granito project is harvesting the ingredients for new architectural building blocks from demolished structures.

Upcycling Wood: Disused Materials Transformed Into Valuable And Useful Objects

AD Editorial Team — Fri, 17 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000

The need to substantially reduce our impact on the planet must be translated into a significant change to our lifestyle and habits. One of these is to consume responsibly and consider that waste does not exist, but that all material can be transformed into something useful again following a circular ecological system.

Architectural Upcycling: 3 Materials That Turn Trash Into Low-Cost Construction Elements

Zach Mortice — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 09:30:00 +0000

This article was originally published by Autodesk's Redshift publication as "Architectural Upcycling Builds Earth’s Better Future Out of Trash."

Lendager Group Unveils Plans for Permaculture Farming and Cabin Escape in Swedish Wilderness

Annalise Zorn — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 08:00:00 +0000

Lendager Group have released drawings and renderings of Stedsans in the Woods, a farming development currently in progress in the deep Swedish wilderness. A collaboration with restaurant owners Mette Helbæk and Flemming Hansen, the project will feature a permaculture farm, restaurant, and lodging. A focus on sustainability and living off the landscape drives both the architecture and the Stedsans brand, who stress the idea of ‘giving more than we take.’ Located in Bohult, Sweden, the development offers visitors an escape from the city with opportunities for fresh dining and connecting with nature.