If you walked by this house on the University of Brighton’s campus, you might not think twice about it. If you took a closer look, though, your jaw would drop to the floor. This house, from top to bottom, is entirely made of garbage. Literally.

The “Waste House” was designed by studio BBM’s director Duncan Baker-Brown, along with undergraduate students at the university. It was built by apprentices from the social housing maintenance provider Mears, as well as other local students.

This will make you think twice about what you do with your trash… it quite literally could be another man’s treasure (or at least his house).

The walls are covered in used carpet tiles and are insulated with junk, including floppy discs and toothbrushes.

It certainly doesn’t look like junk from afar.

The architects claim that the Waste House is the UK’s first permanent building constructed with garbage.

The designers hope to inspire others, showing that “junk” can be used for so much more.

Traditionally, these materials are undervalued.

“It’s about proving that you can build something with other people’s stuff, and that you can make a permanent building out of rubbish,” Baker-Brown told Dezeen.

Getting this building plan approved was a challenge.

But well worth it.

“Foundations made from ground-granulated blast-furnace slag support a framework comprising salvaged plywood beams, columns and timber joists rescued from a nearby demolished house.”

The walls of the house are filled with 20,000 toothbrushes, 4,000 DVD cases, 2,000 floppy discs and two tons of denim offcuts.

You can see the insulation through these “windows.”

It’s amazing just what they put inside of this house.

Over the next few years, the house’s energy efficiency will be tested.

This could be the future… and it could save the environment.

(H/T Dezeen)

The Waste House should change what people think about sustainability and new construction. Building housing doesn’t have to be a drain on our environment; in fact, it’s an opportunity to re-use some of the waste that we generate (without sacrificing safety or even design). The resources used to build the house are severely undervalued, but this project might change everything.

Here are some interesting statistics about the Waste House, gathered by Dezeen:

» 2507 person days to build – 97.5 % of days from students, apprentices & volunteers
» 253 different students inducted and working on site
» Over 700 school children visited the construction site
» Jason Reeves (City College student then Mears Apprentice) – 5+ weeks while at the City College working on columns and beams plus 30 weeks on site – most as Mears Apprentice
» 3 months in production in City College workshops, plus 12 months on site
» 19,800 toothbrushes used as wall insulation – Gatwick Airport supplied 20K, school children and Freegle supplied 1K
» 2 tonnes of waste (from rag trade) denim jean legs & arms – used as wall insulation
» 200 rolls of brand new wallpaper – thrown away to make way for Christmas decorations
» 4,000 VHS video cassettes – used as wall insulation
» 4,000 Plastic DVD cases – used as wall insulation
» 600 sheets of second-hand and/or damaged ply – used for structure and infill ‘cassettes’
» 70m2 of plywood re-used from UOB ‘Waste Totem’ project
» 50m2 of 30mm thick mdc – used as first floor finish – wood Recycling project.
» 1 ‘waste’ kitchen – FREEGLE UK
» Kitchen worktop made from second-hand coffee grinds & plastic coffee cups
» 500 cycle inner tubes – used to seal windows and sound proof first floor
Diagram showing house assembly and recycled materials – click for larger images
» 10m2 of compressed recycle paper forming stair treads and risers – Supplied by Lindner Group
» 65m2 of rubber membrane from for roof finish – made from old Pirelli car tyres
» 2km of second-hand 2″x2″ softwood timber – used throughout building and sourced from skips/ City College/ Brighton Wood Store
» 600 vinyl banners – used as vapour control membrane to wrap house + make Waste House banner bags!
» 2,000 used carpet tiles – used as external hanging tiles for walls & some on the ground floor
» 10 tonnes of chalk destined for landfill – used to create beautiful load bearing internal wall
» 20 litres of second hand paint – supplied by Newlife Paints
» 7.2 cubic metres of polystyrene from old packaging – used as wall insulation
» 2000 second-hand bolts
» 250m2 of ‘seconded/returned’ Kingspan insulation – used as wall, floor & roof insulation

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