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

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