I recently read an article about a Taiwanese architectural firm that built a Nike’s concept store in Shanghai, China – completely out of trash. The firm, called Miniwiz Sustainable Development Ltd., says that they used soda cans, PET water bottles, and old CDs and DVDs to complete the project. Even more impressive is that almost the entire design is adjustable, meaning the floor plan is free for future installation and lighting conditions. All materials that were used were urban mined from 100% recycled consumer lifestyle trash. There isn’t even glue holding the materials together, meaning that the entire building can be re-recycled separately. This wasn’t even Miniwiz’s first building made from trash; in 2010 they completed EcoArk, which is was some call the largest building in the world made from 1.5 million plastic bottles. Miniwiz also has products made from trash. PolliBricks is their wall system made form 100% recycled PET, and Natrilon is a fiber made from 100% recycled PET bottles and enhanced with silicon dioxide from rice husks.
What do you guys think of this? Do you think there will be a similar building in American built entirely from trash?
Written by Lauren Henry, class of 2014
Photo source: http://www.miniwiz.com/miniwiz/en/projects/nikex158
Very well written!!