According to a survey by the Brazilian Association for Recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste (ABRECON), there has been an increase in the recycling of construction and demolition waste (C&D) in Brazil in recent years. According to the 2015 report, 21% of the total C&D was recycled in the country that year, while in 2013 the rate was 19%.
The outlook is promising but not yet ideal, and the growth of recycled C&D materials is still considered small. In Brazil, construction waste can represent between 50% and 70% of the total municipal solid waste. This means, we still need to advocate for a more common practice of material recycling and reuse in architecture, especially in Brazil.
Timber, containers, and roof tiles are only a few of the materials that can be used for different purposes in architectural projects. Apart from construction and demolition waste, it is even possible to incorporate materials that are not specifically related to construction. An article published in ArchDaily shows a few examples of buildings all over the world with facades using the most unusual recycled materials.
We have gathered ten projects of Brazilian houses that employ recycled materials - many of which do not even look like they have been recycled at first sight.
Casa na Mata / NITSCHE ARQUITETOS
Hanging House / Casa Container Marília
Flamboyant Residence / Perkins+Will
Pacheco Leão AL Residence / Ateliê de Arquitetura
BF House / Daniel Fromer
RD Conteiner House / KS arquitetos (in Portuguese)
House in Samambaia / Rodrigo Simão Arquitetura
Michelle House / Yuri Vasconcelos Arquitetura (in Portuguese)
Sustainable House / Deborah Roig (in Portuguese)
Granja Viana Container House / Container Box (in Portuguese)
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 18, 2020, and updated on May 6, 2022