SUPERUSE, where recycling meets design

Superuse is an online community of designers, architects and everybody else who is interested in inventive ways of reuse of materials, elements and components. The site allows you to post items at various scales within the reuse-topic. All examples of small commodities, furniture, interiors, buildings and reuse on urban scale are welcomed. Next to exhibiting applications, we promote the development of knowledge on the subject by starting up discussions, adding historical background and allowing user comments. 

Logged in on the fully renewed Superuse platform, you can share your designs, collect votes and vote for the stories you appreciate! A story on superuse now allows you to add multiple images, location, pricing and can be supported by documentation you would like to share with your audience.

The platform is a collaboration between superuse.org and harvestmap.org. Harvestmap (Oogstkaart in Dutch) is a new online marketplace for redundant and second hand materials. Harvestmap/Oogstkaart allows companies or individuals to inventorise thier supply of materials, components or even buildings to superusers. All materials, ranging from small quantities to continuous flows of (industrial) leftovers are represented. 

Registration to Superuse.org will give you acces to Oogstkaart too. Participation allows you to share your own supply, provide tips to the community and find available resources in your neighbourhood or the surroundings of a project. Oogstkaart is currently in Beta version as we’re continuing to improve the platform, making sharing resources become even more simple. As a registered user we´ll notify you when the launch of v1.0 takes place.

(via superuse.org)

projectar en temps de transformació

New attitudes: designing in times of transformation
Machiel Spaan, ed.
Amsterdam Adademy of Architecture
Architectura & Natura Publishers, 2013
ISBN 978-94-61400-29-1


"Many of the future design challenges in architecture will be faced outside the confines of what we are now accustomed to. Moreover, the traditional roles played by those involved in the design and construction processes, and even the nature of commissions, are changing drastically."
Machiel Spaan

"The economic crisis and the focus on redeveloping existing buildings has forced us to revise our expectations about what architects should be able to do. Is it time to discover brand-new skills? Or time to return to ways of working that have belonged to architecture for centuries?"
Mark Hendriks

"Today's architect is expected to adopt a critical attitude towards the society for which he builds. He must consider the issues at stake. But the relevance of his contribution is determined by how well he succeeds in finding new solutions on the basis of his specific expertise: the design of space."
Aart Oxenaar

learning from Detroit (United Way Headquarters)

The United Way for Southeastern Michigan Headquarters

Detroit, MI. 2009

SmithGroupJJR, arch.

The United Way for Southeastern Michigan relocated its Detroit headquarters into the historic 1st National Building in downtown Detroit. Unlike any other office space in the area, the UWSEM headquarters more closely resemble your local Starbucks than a traditional corporate facility.

Due in part to the high percentage of time that personnel spend outside the office combined with a desire to pursue LEED certification and reduce unneeded material usage, UWSEM concluded that permanently assigned workstations did not need to be provided for all staff. During the programming process, SmithGroupJJR determined that the original space requirement could be reduced by roughly 25% through the introduction of “hotel” and “touch down” spaces in concert with traditional “embedded” work spaces. 

Given that a great deal of staff time was spent working in a team setting, the program included a wide array of collaborative work spaces. Given the amount of time spent in these settings, the team concluded that the traditional workstation could be reduced in size by approximately 30%, resulting in further space reductions.

(vía www.archdaily.com)
gràcies a Anna Assamà

workshop a Enna per a estudiants de segon cicle a l'etsaV, upc

(encara hi pot haver algun ajust d'última hora)

concurso Lafarge, Toledo

"Lafarge España ha presentado el Concurso Internacional de Ideas para la Rehabilitación del Antiguo Almacén 5 situado en la fábrica de Villaluenga de la Sagra (Toledo). Dicho concurso se convoca junto a la Escuela de Arquitectura de Toledo, la Cátedra Fisac de Lafarge y con el apoyo del Colegio de Arquitectos de Madrid y la Demarcación de Toledo del Colegio de Arquitectos de Castilla-La Mancha."

cal reivindicar una vegada més la reparació?

Hay vida después de la muerte... de los objetos

Por: Anna Argemi, El País, 10 de mayo de 2013

Hace varios años se me estropeó la impresora. Sin pensarlo dos veces la cargué en volandas hasta la primera tienda de informática que encontré con la esperanza de que quizás una transfusión de tinta o un trasplante de engranaje le devolvieran la vida y los colores. Solté el lastre aliviada sobre el mostrador de la tienda:

- ¿Cuánto puede costar arreglar la impresora?

El dependiente frunció el entrecejo mientras sopesaba con la mirada las rectas y las aristas algo desgastadas del armatoste.

- Lo siento pero no arreglamos impresoras. Te sale más a cuenta comprarte una nueva.

Recibí la misma respuesta en todas y cada una de las tiendas donde mendigué algo de compasión y al final di mi brazo a torcer: me compré una nueva.

Recordé el episodio hace unas semanas al pasar por delante de un local a la puerta del cual se puede leer: "Mejor que nuevo: 100% viejo". Se trata de unainiciativa del Área Metropolitana de Barcelona que persigue el loable objetivo dealargar la vida de los objetos y, por ende, generar menos residuos.

una ciudad en la fábrica de electrodomésticos

The AEG area in Nuremberg has the potential of an independent district with many different uses. This is on the one hand, the existing structure before, but on the other hand, the experiences we have made in the conversion of other large former industrial properties. A monoculture, it is in the development of the area to be avoided. The target is the versatile use with office, production, craft, commerce, gastronomy, art and culture. As different as these uses may be, they should all have one and that is the high quality of each user.This will give the AEG development on a separate identity and appeal.

...................................................................................................

La fábrica abandonada

En 2007, cerró en Núremberg la fábrica de electrodomésticos AEG, dejando en la calle a 1.700 empleados. Seis años después, estas mismas instalaciones son una de las referencias culturales de la ciudad alemana. En la imagen, reunión del equipo que gestiona el programa de desarrollo del actual centro Auf AEG en la cubierta de la fábrica, con el castillo de Núremberg al fondo.

Ambiente industrial
Los nuevos gestores de este espacio no solo han dado un nuevo uso a los 150.000 metros cuadrados de la vieja fábrica abandonada, sino que además han hecho del antiguo ambiente industrial una de las marcas de identidad del centro.

Auf AEG

El centro cultural surgido de la antigua fábrica se llama Auf AEG, que significa 'En el AEG'. Aunque estas instalaciones ya no tienen nada que ver con los fabricantes de electrodomésticos, las siglas rojas siguen muy presentes por toda la planta. La marca alemana AEG depende del grupo sueco Electrolux.