The goal of the Upcycle House is to build a home with a minimal carbon footprint by using materials with a low embodied energy. In choosing materials for the project, Lendager based its selections on four factors: reduction of CO2 between new materials and standard material; overall price; maximizing operation and minimizing maintenance; and accessibility of materials in sufficient amounts in a relatively close location.
The four bedroom, one bath home features a large, open floor plan living and kitchen area with two shipping containers on either end. Recycled wood framing is used throughout the project along with Tecnopor rigid insulation made from used glass bottles. The walls are insulated with old newspapers and clad in drywall made from recycled gypsum with an exterior cladding of Richlite, which is made from paper waste. The flooring is UPM profi deck, a composite of recycled plastic and wood granulate. Old windows, bricks, battens and laths are all upcycled into the new house, which is topped off with a roof made from trapezoidal profile sheets of recycled aluminum beer bottles.
Lendager Architects will soon be finished with this Upcycle House and the Realdania Byg Foundation will move on to build 5 more in the area in collaboration with other architectural firms.
Via WAN
Images ©Lendager Architects
