The Salvaged Mind:An exploration into inverted waste streams and new material potentials

Current architectural practice is materially intensive, contributing to mass production<br/>of construction waste. In order to drastically shift the way waste is perceived,<br/>architecture needs to reframe existing design methodologies and reevaluate the<br/>materials before they are defined as worthless. This research explores materials<br/>defining design as a means of showcasing new potentials in construction scraps. A<br/>pragmatic approach, born of the materials-at-hand, disrupts current discourse that<br/>defines materials as secondary to the concept, repositioning the value of salvage. A<br/>1:1 built prototype is paired with theoretical analysis in this paper, informing the<br/>research with practical testing of methodologies. Through the design process, the<br/>material sourcing and processing challenge current ideals of aesthetics and influence<br/>tectonic decisions. The paper studies interdisciplinary inquiries alongside practical<br/>applications, seeking to exchange the positioning of these materials from undesirable<br/>to central within architectural practice, to shift perceptions of remains and<br/>acknowledge their potential.