Using recycled and reclaimed materials when building homes and other structures is slowly, but surely catching on. One recent example of just how great such an endeavor can prove is the home in Mumbai, India, which was designed by the firm S+PS Architects. To construct this home they used reclaimed doors, windows and even pipes, which they salvaged from several demolition sites in the area
The home is located on a hill and they left the traditional style of it pretty much intact. The whole home is built around a central courtyard, which offers great natural ventilation and light, as well as privacy for the inhabitants. The facades of the living and dining area were made from salvaged materials. Most of the repurposed windows used in this area of the home are fully operable, so they can let cool air into the home at need. They also reused old fabrics to upholster furniture, while the flooring is also recycled from salvaged Burmese teak materials.
The walls of the central courtyard are finished with tile samples, or more precisely the leftover stone pieces, which they collected from a local stonecutter’s yard. The metal pipes used in this area are also repurposed, and they serve the function of conducting the water to a rock garden lining the wall. They were made to resemble bamboo stalks, which is a nice touch.
The columns of the roof were repurposed from a 100-year-old home, which was demolished nearby. They also installed a solar power array on the roof which greatly offsets the home’s electric bills.
Using all these repurposed and recycled materials allowed for a cost-effective renovation in this case, but it also went a step further in proving that using such materials doesn’t necessarily take away from the aesthetics of a home. Quite the contrary, this home is modern design at it’s best and a great example of what can be done using reclaimed materials.
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