An interdisciplinary project using recycled glass as an aesthetically pleasing architectural material

Oseng-Rees, T; Standen, I; Ferriz-Papi, JA

Abstract

This paper is exploring how a waste material, in this case recycled glass, can be up-cycled and used as an
aesthetically pleasing architectural material. The project has been undertaken as an interdisciplinary project
between staff and students at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Swansea in Wales UK. Sustainability is of
a significant importance for the University with its multi-million pound development at Swansea Waterfront
Innovation Quarter. The university is emphasising the use of locally sourced materials in the building to create
a neighbourhood of academic activity at its core and to attract companies to co-locate with the University to
exploit knowledge, develop skills, support existing companies and attract new investment into the region.
The aim of the project is the use and application of fused recycled glass as a material in a wider context in the
construction industry and the application to interior design.
A reception desk for the new university campus at the SA1 Waterfront Innovation Quarter has been proposed
as a test bed for the new low temperature fused recycled glass product. This is a research active field carried
out by Dr Tyra Oseng-Rees at Swansea College of Art and who successfully developed and installed 100%
recycled glass interior tiles in a new build in 2008 only a short distance from the new campus that are being
built (Oseng, Donne, & Bender, 2009)).
The added benefit of this project is cross disciplinary with staff and students from art, design, engineering,
construction, architecture and environmental conservation involved in a live case study. And lastly; exploration
and application of a commercially viable product both with material integrity and aesthetic attributes.
The circular economy is very much at the heart of this project underpinned by the ‘five-ways-of-working’ from
the ‘The Well-being of Future Generation (Wales) Act (2015)’. Involvement and integration with industry was
also vital and in this instance with the ‘buy-in’ from the construction company KIER Group and the architect
company Stride Treglown was instrumental for this development in the design and manufacture of the
reception desk.
Prevention and long-term thinking is at the heart of all decision making, enabling the consideration to both
end-of-life of the product and demonstration how a waste material can be up-cycled and reintroduced into the
circular economy for future design and purpose use of the material.
This project also showcase how the university’s reputation on environmental and sustainability issues can go
hand-in-hand with traditions from art and design, product technology and a makers artistic vision and mutually
reinforce each other.

Citation

Oseng-Rees, T., Standen, I., & Ferriz-Papi, J. (2018). An interdisciplinary project using recycled glass as an aesthetically pleasing architectural material. Making futures, 5,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Conference Name: Making Futures 2017 Crafting a Sustainable Modernity - Towards a Maker Aesthetics of Production and Consumption:
• Conference Location: Plymouth, UK
• End Date: Sep 22, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jan 1, 2018
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jun 17, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 17, 2020
• Journal: Making Futures 2017
• Volume: 5
• Publisher URL: https://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/documents/Dr_Tyra_Oseng-Rees%2C_Ian_Standen_and_Juan_Ferriz-Papi.pdf
• Related Public URLs: https://makingfutures.pca.ac.uk/making-futures-journal-archive/making-futures-journal-2017
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This research output is also available at: https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/987/; Access Information : Not-for-profit users are able to download the full articles for reading. Not-for-profit users wishing to quote or reuse any part or section of an article in print or electronic media must ensure the used portion is accompanied by a credit acknowledging the original author and Plymouth College of Art as the original publishers of the paper.; Event Type : Conference