“WAR aims to rePURPOSE, rePROCESS and reVITALISE. We need to reIMAGINE waste.”
Location: Regents canal, London, England.
Project year: 2019
Designed by: Equals Architecture and 121 Collective
Each year the UK construction industry uses over 400 million tonnes of materials. Producing in excess of 100 million tonnes of waste - a third of the total UK amount. Whilst the construction industry has made greater efficiencies - 25 million tonnes are still sent to landfill each year.
This scheme seeks to open an important dialogue by utilising discarded materials from local construction sites, in conjunction with ‘off-the-shelf’ components, to create a thought-provoking space. Repurposed hoardings are joined with standard sized timbers from local merchants to create sandwich panels. These interlocking pieces form the primary structure. Recycled Pallets define a pathway leading from street level directly into the building. Discarded corrugated roofing wraps around the exterior as cladding. Fixed at an angle the overlaps splay apart towards the top, allowing excess light to spill from the structure. PVC piping and ductwork poke through the facades to pinpoint specific views from the otherwise introspective pavilion. Plastic sheeting and protective coverings are draped from the top level to form a moving, ever-changing, interactive sculpture. All of these items can be found across London construction sites - treated with care these can be crafted into a finely constructed piece.
