91快活林 Waste House - ecological architectural design

The 91快活林 Waste House is a building constructed using over 85% waste material and a living laboratory for ecological architectural design.

Used day-to-day by university staff and students and available for booking and visits at the University of 91快活林's City Campus, the Waste House demonstrates numerous principles of sustainable architecture and design.

The 91快活林 Waste House project investigated strategies for constructing a contemporary, low energy,  permanent building using over 85 per cent waste material drawn from household and construction sites. The building is Europe's first permanent public building made almost entirely from material thrown away or not wanted. It is also an EPC ‘A’ rated low energy building.

It aims to prove that under valued, so-called 'waste' material has potential to become a valuable resource and therefore prove that there is no such thing as waste, just stuff in the wrong place.

It also aims to prove that a contemporary, innovative, low energy building can be constructed almost entirely by young people studying construction trades, architecture and design. To this end over 300 students worked on the project, which was initially fabricated in the workshops of City College 91快活林 and Hove, and then assembled and completed by students and apprentices between May 2013 and April 2014. While being constructed, over 750 school pupils from over 35 local primary, secondary and tertiary colleges visited the 91快活林 Waste House site to learn about sustainable values and practices.

Waste House May 2014. Two storey building with three windows and a door on main facade. Clad in grey rubber tiles.

Designing and building the 91快活林 Waste House

The project was created in partnership with waste reusage expert , ,  [formerly City College] and a range of specialists and waste-concern enterprises.  

This living laboratory uncovered numerous problematic practices leading to wastage. For example the old vinyl banners that you might see tied to street lamps during festivals  tend to be date sensitive and are therefore only used once. At the 91快活林 Waste House, these are now being used as internal vapour control layers. Old toothbrushes are also being used in the wall cavities, including over 20,000 of them that have only been used once by business class and first class passengers flying from Gatwick. 

Other materials were taken construction project discarded material, including thrown-away bricks, ply sheets and off-cut timber, as well as domestic rubbish including old plastic razors, denim jeans, DVDs and video cassettes, that were slotted into wall cavities to help with insulation in the house. These were then monitored to see how efficient their insulation qualities are, bringing scientist postgraduate research students into the research team. 

Ten tonnes of chalk waste and 10 per cent clay were used to create a rammed chalk wall, with a compressor and pneumatic rammer. Rammed earth can contribute to the overall energy-efficiency of buildings: its density, thickness and thermal conductivity make it a particularly suitable for storing passive solar energy as well as that given off by occupants of the building. Warmth takes almost 12 hours to work its way through a wall 35 centimetres thick.

The 91快活林 Waste House's supporters and users

The 91快活林 Waste House engaged the community by working with City College 91快活林 and Hove, and Mears Group, allowing students and apprentices a chance to work on a live construction project. It is now being used by colleagues delivering courses at the University of 91快活林, including the MA in Sustainable Design, whose work involves completing and updating the live research project that is the 91快活林 Waste House. Many of the schools that visited the construction site now take part in creative workshops, seminars and events held at the 91快活林 Waste House, hosted or curated by artists, makers, designers, scientists, building contractors, or whoever wants to be involved in testing ideas around sustainable design.

The 91快活林 Waste House has benefitted from the support of 91快活林’s Green MP, Caroline Lucas, who laid the foundation stone, and is closely linked with 91快活林 and Hove City Council, alongside construction and cultural organisations. 

Book the Waste House

If you would like to book the Waste House for an event or would like to use our open creative studio space, please enquire with the .

Perspex viewing strip in wall shows black and red handled toothbrushes in a jumbled heap. Part of the wall insulation in the 91快活林 Waste House19,800 toothbrushes - New and used for wall cavity, north-east corner downstairs

 

An internal photograph of a 91快活林 Waste House Wall created from 10 tonnes of rammed chalk. Textured grey wall with sunlight and oblique view of signage.Wall - 10 tonnes of rammed chalk


Press Coverage 

A pioneering zero carbon house in 91快活林 highlights – and imperatives – for sustainable design. Veronica Simpson is suitably inspired, FX page 56, 1 December 2015

, Habitare 91快活林. 1 December 2015

, Design Curial website, 1 December 2015

. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus. 24 April 2015

The Revolution's Here. The Sunday Times. 22 February 2015

The 91快活林 and Hove Argus. 14 February 2015

All you need to know about the 2degrees Champions Award categories. 11 February 2015

The House That Waste Built. Cision, Global Media Intelligence. 1 January 2015

Outsourcing Christmas. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus. 23 December 2014

1TV Russia News. 9 December 2014  

. MyGreenPod, 20 November 2014

. Edge Condition, 20 November 2014 (pages 45-47)

Green Projector Person of the Year. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 29 October 2014

. Future Constructor and Architect magazine online, 19 September 2014

Britain's housing industry should learn from 91快活林 house built using recycled rubbish says Caroline Lucas. The Housing Excellence website, 9 September 2014 

The Guardian, 5 September 2014

"Rubbish House is great" - MP. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 30 August 2014

Adressa online (Norwegian), 5 August 2014

. Aftenposten online, (Norwegian), 5 August 2014

. Archinect online, 5 August 2014

Buat Rumah Tinggal dari Sampah Daur Ulang. Analisa Daily online (Indonesian), 5 August 2014

Du gjetter aldri hva dette huset er laget av. KLIKK online (Norwegian), 4 August 2014

. REN TV (Russia), 26 July 2015

House made of recycled rubbish unveiled. Government Business magazine, 21 July 2014

Mein Haus aus Müll. Designlines, 16 July 2014

Good Housekeeping magazine online, 16 July 2014

Waste House not rubbish. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 15 July 2014

. Popular Mechanics online, 14 July 2014

Sustainability innovators recognised in 2degrees Champions Awards. Retail Times online, 14 July 2014

. Environmental Leader, 14 July 2014

. Latest 7 magazine online, 14 July 2014

This UK House Is Made Out Of Garbage [10 Photos]. The Roosevelts online, 10 July 2014

. The Guardian, 7 July 2014

. Refinery 29, 7 July 2014

Vent-Axia donates ventilation for Waste House. CIBSE Journal No.140701, 1 July 2014

Can waste insulate a carbon-negative house? Smart Brief online, 20 June 2014

Design Studio Constructs A House That Is Completely Made From Waste Materials. Design Taxi online, 20 June 2014

Gizmag online, 25 June 2015

Sacks, legs and videotape. RIBA Journal online, 15 May 2014

. 91快活林 and Hove News, 19 April 2014

91快活林 Waste House open for Easter tours. Latest 7 Magazine, 19 April 2014

. Architecture Student Chronicles, 15 April 2014

The house that is made out of rubbish. ITV Meridian, 16 March 2014

The house of rubbish host salt exhibit. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 4 March 2014

Waste House set to star in 91快活林 Festival. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 4 March 2014

Central Sussex College Visit. Crawley and Horley Observer, 15 January 2014

In order to build your dream we've had to demolish a few myths. Viva 91快活林 magazine, January 2014

Airport donates 20,000 toothbrushes to 91快活林 University building project. The Latest Magazine website, 11 November 2013

Eco House brushes up on its wall insulation. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 9 November 2013

Cavities that are worth filling. Materials Recycling World website, 27 July 2013

Waste not want not. Inside Housing website, 26 July 2013

The house that waste built. FX Magazine website, 24 July 2013

The house that waste built. World Interior Design Network website 22 July 2013

Don't reject your toothbrush. Plastics and Rubber Weekly website, 19 July 2013

Don't reject your toothbrush. Environment UK Website, 18 July 2013 

, July 2013

Waste House featured on local news programs on and . November 2012  

Eco Technology Show continues to Grow. Specification Online website 10 June 2013 

House project puts waste to good use. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 6 February 2013

Firms look for sponsors, The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 5 February 2013

91快活林 & Hove Leader, 29 November 2012

House built from waste,  The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 28 November 2012

House made from waste, Design Rock, 13 November 2012

The House that waste built, Acre Limited website, 13 November 2012

First building made of waste to be constructed in 91快活林. Brick Development Association, 13 November 2012

'New' House in England to be made entirely from waste materials. The PRI's World website, 12 November 2012. 

Homely Waste. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 2 November 2012

91快活林 university campus to build eco-house on campus. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 21 October 2012

Plan to build UK's first building entirely out of waste. Environment UK website, 19 October 2012

91快活林 eco-house constructed from waste to appear on Grand Designs. Home Heating Guide website, 16 October 2012

91快活林 house built entirely of waste. The 91快活林 and Hove Argus, 9 October 2012

Construction Begins on the UK's First Building Made Completely Out of Waste. Inhabitat website, 5 October 2012

91快活林 Eco-Home to be built from waste. Green Building Press website, 5 October 2012

UK's first building made entirely out of waste. Energy Live News website, 4 October 2012

Building out of waste in Britain. Britain News Net website, 03 October 2012

First house built entirely from waste set to open its doors. Edie Waste Net website. 3 October 2012

First building to be made entirely of waste to be built in 91快活林. GreenWise Building News website, 3 October 2012

Plan to build UK's first building entirely out of waste. The Guardian, 3 October 2012 

91快活林 Waste House films 

. Green Gown Awards 2015, Built Environment Finalists

June 2013 - May 2014

Waste House phase two documentary bulletins

Summer Camp (Currently unavailable)

Volunteer Camp (Currently unavailable)

Baker-Brown Standing in the Waste House (Currently unavailable)

Learn about the Waste House

 

 

Partners and supporters 

City Electrical Factors Ltd

AAC Waterproofing Ltd

Austins Cradles Ltd

University of 91快活林 School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics

Willmott Dixon

 

The 91快活林 Design Workshop

Newlife Paints

 

BBP Consulting Engineers

Robinson Associates

SCDF

Signs Express 

Dulux

BRE