Prototype of a low carbon, sustainable and circular Material Exchange in partnership with Structure Workshop for the London Festival of Architecture.

The UK construction industry is estimated to produce approximately 130 million tonnes of waste a year. The Material Exchange looked to tap into this waste stream by platforming a new approach to thinking about the homes of the future.The UK's national building stock is varied, poor performing and inefficient. Encouraging and facilitating personalised retrofit and adaptation could reduce carbon production and energy usage, and minimise waste by repurposing it as viable construction materials. As property prices and material costs soar, adapting existing home spaces by using shared, excess resources has never been more necessary. Rather than defaulting to wasteful and environmentally costly new-build solutions, the Material Exchange showcased a sustainable future for homes.

The Exchange looked to propose sustainable waste management by redistributing small volumes of unused and reclaimed building material supplies, and encouraging a more mindful approach to demolition. The structure was designed to be built from off-the shelf un-drilled steel elements and fixed with beam clamps, enabling all the steelwork to be sourced second hand or returned for re-use in the future. This simple, robust approach to construction would allow the structure to travel or be easily reproduced as part of future programming.  

The ambition behind the Exchange was to catalyse grassroots movements of adjustment and modification, to create real impact across 'housing' as a type.  

New build / Arts & culture
London
2022
Image: IDK