Plastic Paradise: Reconstitution of Plastic Waste Through Design of a Module

As a material, plastic has many redeeming qualities, but as waste product, it is detrimental to our environment. This thesis aims to advance the encapsulation of plastic waste within a new building component: cladding material and/or modular design element. To see plastic as a one-time use material is short-sighted and doesn’t account for the potential which is inherent in this material composition. By examining any given city, you will find a surplus of plastic waste -- whether it is at a landfill, recycling center, or littered throughout the streets. This plastic waste has the ability to be something more. Buildings that are devastated by flooding could benefit from plastic timber foundations so as to prevent rot when exposed to water. Plastic cladding on the sides of a building can filter light and withstand harsh natural elements. Through molding plastic into a new form or “module” to be used for an architectural cladding system, I plan to explore the potential of plastic for reuse in architecture. This study will unravel the potential of plastics materially, spatially and tectonically as a new raw material for architectural design