What would happen if you took all the waste from one demolished house and used it to create new objects? This question is the foundation of a new exhibition, book and auction called “Whole House Reuse” in Christchurch, New Zealand. An initiative of social enterprise Rekindle, the project highlights the huge amount of landfill created by the construction industry each year, particularly in Christchurch which is still demolishing and rebuilding after the Christchurch Earthquake in 2011.
It took seven days for a professional salvage crew and team of volunteers to fully deconstruct the single storey house in the Christchurch suburb of New Brighton, leaving behind only the concrete ring foundation.
Designers, artists, organisations, school children, students and other creators around New Zealand and the world were then asked to create furniture, lighting, homewares and other objects out of the 480 salvaged materials. Over 250 people have now created new items.
Chairs and other furniture items made from timber, glass bowls made from windows, musical instruments, jewellery, cutlery, furniture and toys are all among the finished items which will be auctioned tonight – there are nearly 400 objects in all.
The result is a project that helps to quantify the sheer mass of waste that is occuring as part of the demolition process of unstable buildings in Christchurch. “The Whole House Reuse project (WHR) intends to act as both a mark of respect for countless homes lost through demolition, and as an avenue to create use and demand for resources that currently end up in landfill,” say organisers Rekindle.
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