This thesis proposes a reinterpretation of assumptions towards material value. It is a positive argument in favour of adaptive re-use, not only as a means to divert waste but also as encouragement to reconsider our current habits of consumption. This paper promotes a discussion of our current environmental predicament rather then a one-sided statement and acts as a guide to re-evaluate our sense of value. This dissertation puts forward design solutions and alternatives to certain materials that are part of our everyday lives. The design projects herein adapt existing objects into ordinary household items, as an intended gesture of nostalgia toward the object’s previous form, while at the same time, taking on a raw elegance of aesthetic quality: the projects are raw in their material origins and elegant in their form and function. This work is intended to evolve into an ongoing discussion of salvaged material as a response to problems of consumption and waste, as well as to highlight an ongoing process of design.

This thesis proposes a reinterpretation of assumptions towards material value. It is a positive argument in favour of adaptive re-use, not only as a means to divert waste but also as encouragement to reconsider our current habits of consumption. This paper promotes a discussion of our current environmental predicament rather then a one-sided statement and acts as a guide to re-evaluate our sense of value. This dissertation puts forward design solutions and alternatives to certain materials that are part of our everyday lives. The design projects herein adapt existing objects into ordinary household items, as an intended gesture of nostalgia toward the object’s previous form, while at the same time, taking on a raw elegance of aesthetic quality: the projects are raw in their material origins and elegant in their form and function. This work is intended to evolve into an ongoing discussion of salvaged material as a response to problems of consumption and waste, as well as to highlight an ongoing process of design.