day_01 | GROUP_02

Hello Everyone,

Today was introduction day. We started our project by sorting through two containers of industry waste. We found great potential in the different materials.

We had many ideas throughout the sketching process, however we ended up focusing on a number circles cut out in aluminium. These circles are to be used as some kind of structure connected by wires, inspired by a project by LIFT architects.

Tomorrow we are going to make a small model, testing the basic principles of the construction.

Day 1 - GROUP_01

Hi everyone!,

We started by examining the waste - treating it as different components, each group-member experimented with various combinations. This exploration led to a discovery of a specific module, which we thought had some potential. Our aim was to challenge ourselves and this module, in terms of its modular and structural capabilities. With this module, we wanted to create different structures - therefore we set up some game rules for each design and started playing!

Start-up phase 1st design [Chaos]: Rules: Randomly combine the modules + less complex in the top and bottom + a cloud of chaos in the middle.

[Chaos] The structure is evolving, getting bigger and more clustered.

[Chaos] Inside the cloud, we see the random cluster. The modules are not thought-out or structured, they are randomly joint without the aid of external components.

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Top-perspective [Spiral] Rules: Join the modules together in a systematic way, so that spiral effect can be achieved, from top to bottom of the structure + less complex and simple.

[Spiral] By repeating the same action, we could join the modules by their ends. In a search for more density in the structure, we made the same system three times, and hung them together, achieving a spiral-effect.

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[Squares] With the last structure, we wanted to implement a more complex and organized system. By joining the modules this way(below), we developed a kind of an interlocking system, where the modules interlace and support each other.

[Squares] A closeup of the structure, showing a more organized complexity, compared with [Chaos] and [Spiral]. ( Sorry for the bad picture, but it got pretty late :))

The result of 10 hours of fun work :) Note the shadows which are casted on the wall behind. Because a single module(aluminum) is very light in itself, all of the structures are hanging from the ceiling. Because of the combined weight, the modules were possible to join without any external joints, and in the end create these three structures.

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Todays work uncovered the great possibilities of waste in general. We created three different structures, all with different systems, expressions and basis. With these three structures, we have shown that our single module, when combined without the help of external joints, has the potential of creating different structural expressions.

Today we focused on combining modules without external joints, into structures.

Tomorrow we focus on developing external joints, so our new modules can become a structure.

... Who said trash wasn't useful? :)

Arrival of Components

In every industial production you find small leftovvers, which often take the shape of modular uniform components, here aluminium waste is sorted and counted.

Project Theme

Modular waste is common on garbage sites around the world, but if it doesn't end up on the landfill it might get promoted to new qualities, ex. chairs, music instruments, walls, etc. William McDonough describes this phenomenon as a new type of recycling that increases the qualitative value of existing products. For this phenomenon McDonough uses the term Up-cycling, which he describes as the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value.

During the next two weekends a collective design team consisting of students and researchers from the Architecture & Design department at aalborg University together with designers from MAPT Architects will explore advanced parametric design techniques and rapid manufacturing methods in an attempt to find and implement new use of standard modular waste. The team will investigate new structural potentialities of waste - an experiment that aims at the construction of advanced architectural waste sculptures with the potential of opening up a new dimension in the ongoing discussion on recycling and energy waste.

Design Team:

30 students from the department of Archtiecture & Design, AAU

Research assistent Esben Skouboe Poulsen, Department of Architecture & Design

Research assistent Mads Brath, Department of Architecture & Design

Architect Mads Møller, MAPT Architects

Collaborators:

Department of Architecture & Design, Aalborg University
www.aod.aau.dk

H.J. Hansen
www.hjhansen.dk

MAPT Architects
www.mapt.dk