Recycled Architecture (PHOTOS, VIDEO): Buildings Made From Found Objects

We at HuffPost Green love finding a creative use for recycled materials, as we highlighted in our junk art and turning trash into crafts slideshows. Now we're moving on to bigger things, with a look at how recycled materials can be used as a foundation for houses, temples, and even student dorms. Take a look, and vote for your favorite recycled building!

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Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

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Mosaicist Isaiah Zagar started the Magic Gardens in 1994, using mostly found objects and donations from the community. Glass bottles line the walls, while the garden is adorned with bicycle wheels from local shop Via Bicycles, Zagar's hand-made tiles, and mismatched mirrors, to name a few.

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Mosaicist Isaiah Zagar started the Magic Gardens in 1994, using mostly found objects and donations from the community. Glass bottles line the walls, while the garden is adorned with bicycle wheels from local shop Via Bicycles, Zagar's hand-made tiles, and mismatched mirrors, to name a few.

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Comments

[CKMJr]

07:36 PM on 04/06/2010

15,000 LITER barrels, HP

though a 15,000 barrel hotel would be impressive

[MaurizioMaranghi]

06:35 PM on 04/06/2010

Honestly, reusing materials that have been found (on the street or whatnot) and adding it to various art work has been going on for years and years. Lately, most of the hippie artsy types were the only ones reusing and recycling materials into their work, as it was cool to overconsume and spend. Nevertheless, this idea needs to go mainstream and fast. EVERYONE should be incoporating this type of attitude into their work, projects, mindsets, etc. It's the only way, that we, as a collective global society can ever prosper and flourish. Great post!


- Maurizio Maranghi -

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

[JScott]

12:26 PM on 04/05/2010

Yup as others pointed out Watts Towers Rubel Castle
and don't forget the Bottle Village in Simi Valley Ca.

[hellokino]

11:25 AM on 04/05/2010

What about Eliphante in Cornville, Arizona?

http://www.eliphante.org/

[goatboyslim]

09:36 AM on 04/05/2010

How about the Mystery Castle at the base of South Mountain, in Phoenix? That was made with adobe and bottles, if memory serves,( and it's been 25 years, so I could be wrong.)

[nb]

08:38 AM on 04/05/2010

It's not a building made of recycled stuff per se, but the City Museum in St. Louis definitely deserves to be on any list glorifying the artistic and interesting reuse of found objects.

An absolute gem in the heart of downtown:
http://www.citymuseum.org/home.asp

[joeyc]

03:53 AM on 04/05/2010

I'd pass on the "shipping container dorms," LOL.

[wolfgangmo]

11:31 AM on 04/05/2010

Don't pass until you've seen one. I've been in a few and they are roomy, comfortable and have a clean modern look. Here are some pics I found. http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/561077838aCXjFj

[KIVPossum]

12:36 PM on 04/05/2010

Why? It's a wonderful way to clean up th millions of shipping containers that have been abandoned. More towns should let people remodel them into homes.

[Booth ster]

03:20 AM on 04/05/2010

This is cool! We made an exhibit booth/stand out of cardboard tubes headed for the garbage. Check it out here: http://boothster.com/usforestservice.htm

[undrgrndgirl]

11:41 PM on 04/04/2010

err...i mean Watts' Towers!

[undrgrndgirl]

11:39 PM on 04/04/2010

what, no Watt's Towers???

[WYHKTai-Tai]

01:28 AM on 04/05/2010

Agreed!

Here they are:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=watts%20towers%20los%20angeles&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

[SugarBare504]

10:43 PM on 04/04/2010

This should be standard fare for San Fran.

[elcerritan]

01:44 AM on 04/05/2010

???? Have you ever actually been to SF?

[You]

09:41 PM on 04/04/2010

You missed Thunder Mountain in Nevada along I-80 near Winnemucca.

[LanceThruster]

08:59 PM on 04/04/2010

Cargo container housing would seem to make exceptional disaster relief accomodations; both short term and longer term. It also is fairly simple to elevate above ground level creating shade, cover storage, carports, and flood protection. Ideal for New Orleans.

[Bartel5]

09:38 PM on 04/04/2010

How do they insulate these steel containers? Foam on the inside?

[LanceThruster]

04:21 AM on 04/05/2010

There are multiple approaches. One of the first designs I saw was a self-contained unit in the AUS outback. It had a flying wing type roof shade ( V shaped) on central posts above the unit which passively improved air flow. If I can find the illustration, I'll add the link.

Apparently since I last looked into this, ceramic paint is considered affordable. Also, green roofs and earth mass planter boxes are effective. One unit in Chile used freight pallets as a siding for the shade and air flow properties.

Here's some links that have various examples I mentioned:

http://terraformearth.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/green-roofs-for-container-housing/

http://www.greendiary.com/entry/20-amazing-homes-made-from-shipping-containers/

http://www.isbu-info.org/faq.htm

http://www.dwell.com/articles/operation-desert-shed.html

[missouriwatcher]

08:57 PM on 04/04/2010

The Magic Gardens reminds me of Antonio Gaudís' architecture in Barcelona, Spain. . . sort of art noveau. Nice when trash can be turned into something of beauty.

[billshut]

08:56 PM on 04/04/2010

The dorms were nicely done, the wine barrel hotel had a Disney vibe which is ok if that's what you like, but the rest looked like literal piles of garbage.

[elcerritan]

01:46 AM on 04/05/2010

I agree. This is mostly just gimmicky cr*p. Not practical or of any general applicability at all. Unfortunately, too many of HuffPost's "green" articles are like this. It's so trivializing.

[billshut]

11:43 AM on 04/05/2010

The best description ever of HuffPost's Green section is that it's like reading "The Onion".

[isaidit]

05:05 AM on 04/05/2010

Bill shut.