With the aim of supporting architects to become active players in sustainable design, in this article we present to you a selection of facades for houses made from recycled material. In addition to the typical applications of plastic and recycled glass, in this article you will find innovative materials such as plastic chairs, old sea freight containers and recycled waste from agricultural and industrial products. Let our suggestions inspire you to perhaps start your own project for a facade or house made of recycled material.
A facade for a house made of recycled material with plastic chairs
The first building comes from the young architectural firm CHYBIK + KRISTOF Architects & Urban Designers from Brno. They converted a former car showroom into a house made from recycled materials on the outskirts of a housing estate. The company based there focuses on the production of office, school and metal furniture. Thesingle-story buildingsof low aesthetic quality, the architects have provided a new facade made of more than 900 black plastic seats. The concept for the building facade is abstract and also functions as an advertising banner for the company. After a simple renovation of the interior, a new screening room was created. This presents the individual segments of the company's production in specific, thematically arranged settings.
The condition of the building at the time was technically and morally outdated and did not meet the needs of society from a formal point of view. Given that this was a temporary investment in the form of a rental and that the company was already using these premises, the proposed solution had to be cheap and quick. The choice of materials, based on the use of a minimal amount of money but intended to improve the former building, therefore had to be linked to the company's production. The architects covered the building with a homogeneous plastic product without making any major adjustments to the exterior.
The facade for the house made from recycled materials also creates an abstract texture that reflects the ambience of the interior. The team chose black granules for outdoor use. This material is resistant to various weather conditions, especially UV light. The individual seats are attached to a structure made of steel profiles, which encloses the facade. In case of mechanical damage, it is possible to exchange each piece for a new one. Even facade cleaning can easily be carried out twice a year with a high-pressure cleaner.
Plastic containers form a lightweight facade
Hyunje Joo's design for a house made from recycled materials in South Korea is a different proposal that tackles the separation between inside and outside with the construction of a flexible, lightweight and recyclable architectural element. The surface made of 1500 semi-transparent plastic boxes diffuses the light and silhouettes and offers the possibility of being reused in different places with different configurations.
The architects intended the option for theExterior wall claddingreinterpreted with recyclable materials. This wall is a flexible architectural element instead of a solid building material and, as mentioned above, is made of recyclable plastic. The surface minimizes the separation between inside and outside as light and silhouettes shine through beyond the room.
Over the course of the day, changes appear on the wall surface due to the diffusion and reflection of the material. For this reason, you can perceive the passage of time more actively, as these light effects stimulate our senses. If the building is demolished in 2 years, the plastic baskets can be reused.
A micro-library made from recycled material
The building is located in Taman Bima, Indonesia, in a small square in a neighborhood near the airport. The minimalist-designed library is the first realized prototype of a series of small libraries in various locations across Indonesia. The aim of the project is to revive interest in books by creating a simultaneously modern and cozy space for reading and learning. However, the ultimate purpose is to enable local people to organize content and maintenance on their own.
The team's intention was to add rather than subtract, so they decided to beautify the open stage by shading it, making it rainproof and covering it in the form of a box. The building consists of a simple steel structure made of I-beams and concrete slabs for the floor and roof. The stage was reworked in concrete and a previously missing wide staircase was added. Since the house made of recycled materials is located in a tropical climate, the designers wanted to create a pleasant indoor climate without air conditioning. That's why they looked for available facade materials in the neighborhood. These should be cost-effective and should also be able to shade the interior, let in daylight and provide sufficient cross ventilation.
Not only does the facade give the building additional meaning, but the buckets also create pleasant ambient light as they diffuse direct sunlight and act as natural light bulbs. The ice cream cups were then placed between vertical steel ribs that extend from floor to roof and slope outward to shed rainwater. During persistent tropical rainstorms, indoor translucent sliding doors can be temporarily closed.
Backyard hut with 3D printed tiles as facade material
The 3D printed house made from recycled materials is called “Cabin of Curiosities” and is an exploration of the architectural possibilities of waste refining and custom cladding in response to 21st century needs. This exploratory project is an example of work that delves deep into the materials science of additive manufacturing using open source tools and standard printers.
The one-room gabled house, located in a backyard, brings together a collection of performative tile products, from translucent luminous interior walls to rainscreens composed of integrated planters and textured shingles. Over 4,500 3D printed ceramic tiles cover the exterior of the building. The company aims to focus on waste processing of agricultural and industrial waste products. Among other things, the company has integrated salt, cement and sawdust into the products to create the diversity of the tiles.
The house integrates two types of tiles on the exterior. The 3D printed ceramic molds provide pockets for the plants' vegetation. No two tiles are the same, allowing for unique shadow lines across the facade. The interior consists of translucent white wall tiles made from a bio-based plastic made from corn. These offer a bespoke relief structure inspired by the tradition of pressed metal ceilings.
A really breathing house made from recycled materials
Just 15 kilometers from central Hanoi, the suburb of Dong Anh has experienced pervasive urbanization - one of the main causes of the trend towards maximum use of construction space. Less importance was given to the quality of the space used and the surrounding landscape. This has resulted in a large number of “suffocating” buildings, often found in newly planned, stuffy urban neighborhoods characterized by the division of land parcels for the construction of terraced houses in Vietnam.
The interior offers many cavities, while the exterior has double facade including the inner layer as all-glass panels. Potted plants are also randomly arranged to absorb moisture and reduce caloric radiation. Together with the inner duplex, the layer of ceramic bricks is designed to purify dust and smoke. It also draws in fresh air and dissipates the heat through open panels alternating with potted plants on the facade. This filter helps to revitalize the architectural space by balancing the breathing of man and nature, promoting connection and interaction between the internal and external landscape, roofs with climbing and potted plants and vegetables underneath, sunlight and shade.
Therefore, adequate breathing space is necessary to ensure healthy living in a natural and socio-cultural habitat specific to each region. In this sense, the appropriately breathing house made from recycled materials is expected to contribute to highlighting local architecture in a current global context.
The Caroll House in Brooklin made from shipping containers
Our next example is a house made from recycled materials, mainly made of...old ISO containersconsists. To build the single-family home, the architects stacked the large iron containers. These are cut diagonally along the top and bottom sides. This has created a monolithic and private volume within the urban fabric.
The slant cut style modifies the traditional ground floor backyard type and utilizes the space at each level. At the same time, the container walls along the diagonal cut protect the outside space from passers-by. Additionally, large sliding glass doors provide continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.
On the ground floor, the diagonal cut provides access to the cellar and garage. The kitchen, dining and living rooms are located above ground on the first floor, while the area directly above the garage ramp forms a media room.
The Kamikatz Brewery in Japan
Kamikatsu in Tokushima Prefecture is committed to zero waste. Thus, the locals are trying to transform themselves into a sustainable recycling society. The city has already achieved an 80% rate in this regard by sorting its waste into 34 categories. Used items are displayed at the recycling facility like in a store. As mass production and mass consumption reach an impasse, the world has great expectations from this movement.
To make a local house made of recycled material a symbol, the architects used the windows with the fittings from abandoned houses for the external facade. The raised ceiling effectively ventilates the warm air that stagnates above in summer. The double layer of window fittings extracts air and improves insulation. The team also reconstructed furniture such as bridal chests and agricultural implements. Furthermore, the designers applied the locally produced wood waste to the outer wall. The interior is also full of improvisation and discovery with creative combinations of waste materials.
It's not just architecture that saves energy and resources and reduces harmful emissions through reuse, reduction and recycling. This imaginative and innovative architectural style also promotes the circulation of the regional economy and tourism. In addition, the locals who gather at the pub begin to see the embodiment of the city's vision in everyday life. We hope that you would also be inspired by this and undertake your own projects using recycled materials.
