Let’s play Spot The Difference, urban edition. You’re on West 47th Street in Hell’s Kitchen, a Manhattan neighborhood known for its industrial vibe. Like much of the area, the street is lined with brick buildings; despite some color variations, the facades mostly look the same. There is, however, one striking difference. — Fast Company
The difference lies within the gray brick facade of The West, a new residential building that is made up of nearly 580,000 pounds of demolition and industrial waste.
The architects, Dutch firm Concrete, teamed up with Amsterdam-based company StoneCycling to use their recycled bricks patented under the name WasteBasedBricks. This is the first time the companies have worked together and the first time the bricks have been used in the United States.
StoneCycling works to reduce waste streams in the construction industry through sustainable materials while also meeting the aesthetic requirements of designers. The bricks are made of at least 60% waste from sources including ceramic toilet bowls, roof tiles, and steel. In fact, the waste streams themselves, determine the hues and textures of the bricks, with tones ranging from Pistachio to Radish.
For The West, Concrete chose the Truffle WasteBasedBrick for the sake of blending the building with its industrial surroundings. The architects used the bricks on the first seven floors of the building’s facade and inside the lobby. StoneCycling is set to increase the ratio of waste in their bricks to 80% this year, with the goal of reaching 100% in the next few years.
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