SsD Architects has recently completed a prototype building that demonstrates how infrastructural refuse can be salvaged and reused. Located in Lexington, Massachusetts, the architect has built a modern house which its structural system is comprised of steel and concrete discarded from Boston’s Big Dig.
Over 600,000 lbs of salvaged materials from elevated portions of the dismantled I-93 highway were utilized to build the modern house. Planning the reassembly of the materials in as if it were a pre-fab system, subtle spatial arrangements are created. These materials however are capable of carrying much higher loads than standard structure, easily allowing the integration of large scale roof gardens.
The project demonstrates an untapped potential for the public realm: with strategic front-end planning, much needed community programs including schools, libraries, and housing could be constructed whenever infrastructure is deconstructed, saving valuable resources, embodied energy, and taxpayer dollars.
