Reclaimed wood looks great with this "junk house" made up of 12,000 pieces of reclaimed oak flooring.
The idea of using recycled materials to create new things is slowly but surely gaining popularity, with more and more companies selling fashion, jewelry and even bicycles made from recycled materials. Architects have ideas too, and they create beautiful buildings using recycled elements, like this modern apartment block made from recycled tiles or this community cafe made from recycled bottles and cardboard boxes.
Of course, designing for recycled materials can involve adapting the entire design process or even rearranging it to include additional steps such as cleaning, sorting, and sizing of recyclables. But it may be worth it, as Swedish studio Kolman Boye Architects demonstrated with a vacation-home-style renovation in Lillesand, Norway, that used wood that could have been thrown away.
The project, called the Saltviga House, consists of 12,000 oak floors covering the exterior walls and roof. The waste comes from Danish flooring company Dinesen, which has a large stock of spare parts. As the company explains, they are familiar with the company and thus easily grasped this idea of "recycling" leftover materials:
"In our latest project, as well as in our training and research, we have encountered traditional Dinesen flooring materials, scraps, waste and waste from the production of specialty flooring. For the idea of making buildings out of it as a soft material how to utilize and recycle waste that can be used as firewood, and more carbon-dense materials.
The house is located in a rocky area by the sea, where the client, a family with young children, has a rest home which is in a dilapidated state.
The original intention was to renovate and update it; However, this seems impossible as the original structure is so dilapidated.
Instead, the architects implemented a new design that works with a variety of lot heights. The new project covers only one floor but appears to have five different levels to minimize potential impact on the landscape.
To find an efficient way to deal with these large amounts of waste, of various sizes and types, the architects developed a sorting strategy that categorizes the pieces according to size, quantity and quality. They even built several full-scale prototypes to test various stack and level combinations. They say:
"Unlike the traditional chipboards used in Norway, research into these boards resulted in a simple but complex approach that required knowledge of traditional materials and significant process development to keep it timely and economical."
To further reduce waste, the company works closely with suppliers, carpenters, and carpenters to build machines and manufacture as many components as possible. This involves pre-cutting the parts to size, then pre-drilling and pre-finishing before being transferred to the job site.
Altogether the project comprises three volumes, one of which serves as a detachable "windshield" and connecting element between the other two main volumes, one for the living quarters and the other for the night and bathrooms.
The volume is configured as two sides, one of which features an open bridge over the sea, while the other side is a courtyard overlooking the forest.
Inside the house, rooms have different ceiling heights or floor level changes. The volume of the binding is accentuated by a long line of sea-facing windows that create a sense of straightness between the various parts of the house.
The interior is warmed by Douglas fir cladding on the walls, as is the case here by the staircase leading to the bedroom.
Douglas-fir clippings have also been used to make kitchen cabinets.
This is the view from the kitchen to the dining room and out to sea. The open plan arrangement helps enhance the feeling of space and light.
Ultimately, say the architects, this approach is about using resources cheaply and beautifully. The ideas of recycling, reusing, downsizing, repurposing, and repurposing can mean rethinking the way we usually do things, but it can also mean ending up with something more beautiful and meaningful.
