This paper seeks to find poetry in recreating. If not beauty, then aesthetic dimension in trash itself. To find perfection in imperfection itself. The research presented herein focuses on design-driven applications for industrial by-products waste reuse. The aim is to understand the potential and the feasibility of developing building skin systems based on designing out nonhazardous waste from the auto industry. In this paper, an experimental case study and testing research methodology were used. The method involved manufacturing processes observations, descriptions of automotive and building material culture that resulted in speculative design work. The work provides examples of ecosystem knowledge transfer between the automotive and the building industries.
The work is a result of a multi-year collaboration applied research project between the academia and industry. The United States’ manufacturing industry generates approximately 7.6 billion tons of non-hazardous solid waste each year, a significant portion of which is either recyclable or reusable. Emerging ecosystem concepts such as cradle-to-cradle, design for disassembly, sustainable manufacturing, and most importantly circular economy are promoting the reuse or recycling of non-hazardous industrial waste. Empirical evidence suggests that there are significant economic, environmental, and social benefits of reusing industrial waste than recycling it. The research project developed speculative designs and new solutions for building skins made from GM stamping operation cutouts. The goal of the experiment was to transforms the linear approach in making building components, in particular, exterior metal skins and cladding systems, to a closed-loop approach, which ensures multi-dimensional economic, social, and environmental benefits. The results are expected to change the focus of the current waste management practices in the manufacturing industry from conventional recycling to creative reuse.
The study introduces a novel approach to designing a symbiosis between non-hazardous automotive waste and the building & construction industry. In particular, creating building skin systems from by-product galvanized sheet metal from the automotive industry. We argue that a resource revolution is making way for a new architectural paradigm shift, which is emerging through the integration of creative reuse, synergistic business processes, and circular economy.
New products, applications and machinery , Development of design and modelling methods , LCA and emission modelling
