JUNK as an Innovative Construction Material

Towards Novel Practices in Architecture- An Overview

R.Arulmalar, Dr.N.Jothilakshmy Faculty of Architecture, Sathyabama University
arulmalar21@gmail.com, jothi.lakshmy@gmail.com
Abstract:
Reusing post consumer packaging waste material in constructing built forms is not a new idea. The
concept of reusing such junk dates back to the Roman era. Romans used amphorae to export olive oil, wine.
They reused amphorae to erect structures to address two main issues. Firstly, to check the impacts generated by
the disposal to earth and secondly to reduce the dead load in the built structure. The industrial revolution during
the eighteenth century, new materials were invented for various purposes. The disposal of such used materials
posed serious threats in disturbing the ecological balance. To check the negative impacts, pioneers who have
been sensitive to the surroundings from various fields came up with different reuses like A, B, C - as put forth
by Pena. Post consumer waste materials like tires, aluminum cans, glass and PET bottles have been effectively
used as building blocks. This paper is an attempt to consolidate types of reuses, unique ideas of reuses in
different fields which have been initiated around the world in construction industry and put forward the light for
a total rethinking towards an innovative architecture.

Key words: Post consumer, Waste, Reuse, Innovative Architecture.
1) Introduction
Sustainability, energy efficiency, cradle to site, cradle to gate, cradle to grave, cradle to
cradle are the terms and phrases we are coming across in our daily routine. We must be aware
that these approaches are not new, but were also revolving our ancestors. The only difference
between us and them was the magnitude of such concepts which was never a constant, but a
variable based on time, place and lifestyle of the people in respective contexts.
According to the living planet report (2012), to balance the intensity of pressure we
are exerting on earth, we require a planet which is twice the size of ours by 2030 to meet out
annual demand. One of the major culprits adding fuel to this scenario is waste. Any
commodity, from manufacturing to consumption phases, waste is generated. Waste
management, minimisation is the need of the hour. Even though it has been made mandatory,
at the macro scale the initiatives have been sporadic and the attempts follow only a piece
meal approach. In addition to this, the post consumer waste generated per capita is increasing
at an alarming rate in all the nations and this has become a major challenge.
2) Post Consumer Waste
According to LEED 2011, post consumer material has been defined as waste material
generated by different end users after serving its intended purpose. Post consumer wastes are
of different types, but this paper will mainly focus on packaging waste (Fig.1) from 1,500BC
to the current scenario. It revolves around the amphorae, glass bottles, aluminium cans, PET
bottles and tyres which have been posing serious environmental and health hazards at the
global level.
Fig 1.Amphorae, glass bottles and PET bottles
3) The Essence of C2C Approach
Even though the cradle to cradle approach has been perceived during the late eighteenth
century, it was architect Mc Donough and chemist Michael Braungart (2002), firmly
established the need for such a closed loop which is the basic principle firmly rooted in
nature. The non bio degradable post consumer waste needs a revolutionary perspective where
the waste from a field can be effectively used as a resource in a different field. Instead of the
loop following a fixed path, it has to be a loci moving forward loaded with innovation and
creativity. In this context, this paper intends to consolidate the various pioneers approach to
utilise post consumer waste in construction field.
4) The Roman era
From 1,500BC to 500AD, amphorae were used as a packaging material to export wine,
olive oil was effectively used for nearly two millenniums. In order to address the disposal
problems, Romans reused them for n numbers which they classified (Pena, 2007) as Reuse A.
Without modification, they were used in constructing massive built forms, in structural
members, to find an alternative solution and to reduce the self weight, which they referred as
Reuse B. With modification, these amphorae broken in to smaller sizes and they were used as
stucco for decoration and in pavement, Reuse C (Will, 1977).
Fig 2. Reusing Amphorae in structures
5) The Post Industrial Revolution Period
The invention of iron and glass was a turning point. Both the materials were used to erect
large span exhibition pavilions. Understanding the versatility of glass, manufacturers used as
packaging materials for various commodities.
In 1902, it was William F.Peck, who interpreted glass bottles as building material.
Bottles of different colours, shapes, forms and sizes were used to design bottle houses.
William Branch Hodges, Drew Bridges, John Makinen, Hank, Arsenault etc were ahead of
the conventional ideas and in their projects they established dialogues with environment,
textures, light, colours, unique experiences and gleaming like gem stones ensuring visual
continuity (Leitch,2005). The constructed environments were used as dwelling units, stores,
exhibitions, toilets portraying bizarre aesthetic expressions.

Fig. 3 Bottle Houses Exterior and Interiors
6) The Dawn of Earthships
Earthship has been the brilliant conception of Michael Reynolds during 1970s. The built
environment is the result of an integrated holistic approach, where it behaves like a habitat. It
is capable of harnessing energy from sun, water from sky, bioclimatic, attracting the biotic
life (fig 3). It can be referred as organic in Wrights perspective. It is continuous, plastic,
free form, invested with multitude of thoughts, offering a variety of spatial experiences etc,
Fig.4 Earthship at Brighton, construction phase and the C2C approach
retaining the spirit of the site and rustic in appearance. Tires are the primary building block
used in load bearing structures and aluminium cans with cement as non loading members.
More than 3,000 earthships have been around the world in different geographical locations
with extreme and moderate climatic conditions.
7) The Current Twenty First Century
In todays context, PET bottles have occupied a major position in our contemporary life
style. Andreas Froese, an environmental engineer has developed PET bottle bricks in erecting
dwelling units. Individuals have developed special techniques whereby, PET can be used as
main walls and partitions (Shoubi, 2013). PET bottles have been filled with adobe, flyash and
water and tightly compressed when it comes to load bearing structures. With respect to light
weight structures, they can be used without or with filling polyethylene waste mounted on
one on top and held together by chicken mesh and plastered with suitable cement and sand
composition. They can be used as fillers in concrete slabs, sandwich panels (Bristogianni,
2002) in erecting temporary shelters and also for thermal insulation. Mader has developed an
eco art island where the entire floating base is made of empty PET bottles.

Fig.4 PET Bottle Houses
8) Conclusion
The built environments constructed with amphorae or glass bottles or tyres or aluminium
cans or PET bottles offers a new revolutionary perspective on post consumer junk, yet deeply
intertwined with the environment and people. This reflects a unique cradle to cradle approach
where junk has been resourcefully used as building blocks. These structures are the creation
of individuals who have been sensitive to the immediate surroundings and the advantages are
three folds. Firstly, such efforts checks the disposal of post consumer junk, secondly offering
bioclimatic and cost effective solutions and thirdly a humane collective effort, strongly evoke
a sense of pride and ownership.

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