A Superuse solution Architects can play a fundamental role by using waste, and what’s more ingenuity, to convert waste into structures that are useful, imaginative and beautiful. Baha m ó n a n d Sa n j i n é s 2 0 1 0 Rematerial: From Waste to Architecture
We, at Superuse Studios, are waste use pioneers with 17 years experience using waste material such as end-of-life wind rotor blades in design and architecture. From rotor blades we have successfully designed and built: urban furniture, a playground, a sign post for a recycling centre, and, are currently finalising the construction of blade made bus shelters. Our realised projects demonstrate the technical applications and potential for blade made designs and architecture. Blade made designs are durable, iconic, compete economically, and, reduce the ecological footprint of projects in which they are used. We envisage yet larger scale architectural potential for
rotor blades; structures that celebrate the inherent design, engineering, material, aesthetic, ergonomic and iconic properties of rotor blades and that are creative, useful, and beautiful.
such structures when economic and environmentally viable recovery or recycling methods are established. Benefits not achieved when composites are sent to permanent disuse in landfill or are incinerated.
In their second life as design and architectural elements, rotor blades could be used for a further 50-100 years, or more.
The global availability of discarded rotor blades makes them a very interesting resource for blade made projects worldwide.
If blade made design was adopted globally it could play a considerable role in reducing waste generated by the wind energy industry by providing unique design and architecture with added aesthetic and high material value for society. Blade made structures could play an additional valuable role as above-ground, in-use, composite material storage. In this way valuable composite material could be recovered later from
At Superuse Studios, waste rotor blades are seen as structural and aesthetic elements for large scale, worldwide use in design and architecture. Blade made designs reduce wind energy waste and provide opportunity for later recovery of valuable composite materials. If only 5% of The Netherlands’ yearly production of urban furniture such as playgrounds, public seating and bus shelters were made using waste rotor blades, then all of The Netherlands’ estimated 400* waste rotor blades produced annually would be removed from the waste stream.
20 playgrounds
100 waste blades
11 urban seats
100 waste blades
100 bus shelters
200 waste blades
Blades redirected from incineration and landfill.
400 waste blades
(* ~2000 wind turbines, assuming 15 year blade lifespan) = 1000 MW = ±10 tonne composite material