Rapid Re(f)use: New York City Rebuilt From Its Own Trash

Inhabit.com
by Bridgette Meinhold, 01/29/10

New York City, much like any big city, disposes of a lot of trash — but what if that trash could be used in a constructive manner? NYC-based architects Terreform have proposed a new form of construction for the City that uses industrial sized robots to create buildings and islands from waste instead of sending it to landfills like Fresh Kills. They’re calling the project Rapid Re(f)use, and the first design is a reverse of the Statue of Liberty that would be built out in the harbor. ...(more)


Comment:

GreenCorbu Says:
January 30th, 2010 at 11:04 am

WOW!
Just Excellent.
It is a the POWER behind the image that makes the message convincing.
see from their Terrefom URL;
“New York City is disposing of 38,000 tons of waste per day. Most of this discarded material ended up in Fresh Kills landfill before it closed. The Rapid Re(f)use project supposes an extended New York reconstituted from its own landfill material. Our concept remakes the city by utilizing the trash at Fresh Kills. With our method, we can remake seven entirely new Manhattan islands at full scale. Automated robot 3d printers are modified to process trash and complete this task within decades. These robots are based on existing techniques commonly found in industrial waste compaction devices. Instead of machines that crush objects into cubes, these devices have jaws that make simple shape grammars for assembly. Different materials serve specified purposes; plastic for fenestration, organic compounds for temporary scaffolds, metals for primary structures, and etc. Eventually, the future city makes no distinction between waste and supply.”

---

Video: www.metacafe.com/watch/bg-4005890/every_hour/

Every hour New York City produces enough waste to fill the Statue of Liberty. Our concept remakes the city by utilizing the trash. Automated robot 3d printers are modified to process trash and complete this task within decades. Eventually, the future city makes no distinction between waste and supply.

YouTube: City, Ecology, Mobility - With Mitch Joachim, Terreform 1 (and more)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnuJa2LT6iM


Links: www.terreform.org/projects_urbanity_rapid_refuse.html

Rapid Re(f)use - Terreform
2006 - 2008 Terreform ... Our concept remakes the city by utilizing the trash at Fresh Kills. With our method, we can remake seven entirely new Manhattan ...
www.terreform.org/projects_urbanity_rapid_refuse.html

Green Brain - Terreform
2006 - 2008 Terreform. CONTACT. RESEARCH. PROJECTS. ABOUT. URBANITY. PEOPLE. FORWARD · BACK. GREEN BRAIN: A SMART PARK FOR A NEW CITY ...
www.terreform.org/projects_urbanity_greenbrain.html

---

3D Printing and Rapid Manufacturing machines: Rapid prototyping
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_prototyping

RepRap Project: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RepRap_Project

Low Cost 3D Printer for Desktop Manufacturing of Bio-material Scaffolds
http://www.mechatronics.canterbury.ac.nz/research/research_proj.shtml

PuraVidaAtitlan.org

Spanish English German

* Home
* Health and Environment:
* Education:
* Recycle:
* Expansion and Connection:
* Natural disaster relief for children:
* Funding:

PuraVidaAtitlan.org
FOR A LIFE WITHOUT CONTAMINATION
Alternative Trash Management
Lago Atitlan, Guatemala
puravidaatitlan@hotmail.com



The gods, Heart of the Sky and Heart of the Earth, created the world. The waters parted and a land of mountains, valleys and streams appeared. When the fruit of their labors was revealed in all its glory, and the gods saw the beauty of the earth and its creatures, they decided that it needed guardians.

Sacred book of the Quiché Maya, discovered in Santo Tomás Chuilá, now known as Chichicastenango, at the beginning of the 18th century. ~ Popol-Vuh


Trash collection day

The majority of villages in Guatemala have no trash dumps or system to collect and contain their trash. Trash is dumped on the ground, in lakes and in rivers. Vital drinking water is being contaminated. Children are playing in garbage; and disease is being spread.


Pura Vida teaches villagers to compact clean, dry plastic trash into used plastic bottles, thereby converting waste into easily-storable and transportable “plastic bricks” for construction.

Mission:

To promote environmental consciousness among the indigenous villages of Guatemala, in order to curb the contamination of air, soil and water, promote healthier living conditions, and preserve the beauty of the land.

Constructing with Trash
Goals:

Health and Environment

Teach the relationship between trash and disease in the household.
Teach garbage separation and management solutions: compacting, recycling, and reusing through trash construction.
Work with every family individually through local indigenous health care and environmental promoters.

Education

Educate school children (ages 4-18) about environmental issues and trash through experiential learning, including: campaigns, practical workshops, educational theatre, excursions, and competitions.
Work with the local schools to provide a clean learning environment

Recycle

Create local structures for recycling and reusing trash.
Construct with trash.
Create products using recycled material.

Expansion and Connection

Implement the Pura Vida experience in other Maya communities of Lago Atitlán.
Develop educational and promotiona materials,including videos, radio and television spots, theatre and school curriculum.
Train local representatives to introduce this project to other communities.
Connect communities, schools, businesses, local government and NGOs.

Natural disaster relief for children

Create a adaptable post-trauma therapy program for children to help them cope with the effects of a natural disaster and reconnect with their local environment through recycling
.
panabaj pura vida house

...The majority of villages in Guatemala have no trash dumps or system to contain their trash....

About Pura Vida:

Pura Vida started with pilot project in January 2005 in the village of San Marcos la Laguna in order to solve the community’s trash problem. After two years of experience the Pura Vida pilot project is emerging as an ecological movement around Lake Atitlán.

Pura Vida believes that as part of nature, human beings are responsible for the waste we produce. Communities must share this responsibility with environmental organizations, corporations, local political authorities, teachers, parents and children. Pura Vida is building with trash while building the environmental consciousness of communities.



Web Design by Atitlan Resource