4.2.7. Repurposed Materials

One way to build using modern materials in a renewable way is to repurpose materials that would otherwise be wasted. There are many ways to do this. One popular approach is with shipping containers. There are numerous ways to do this, and architects are playing with this medium, building luxury homes (not even remotely green). But many people are using them in more regenerative ways too.

How do you make a shipping container energy efficient? It’s important to cover the roof, like this builder did. He also created breezeways, which we discuss above in the section on passive cooling. He used expensive materials but this could also be done with repurposed roofing, or even bamboo or thatched roof. Imagination is the only limitation.

One of the government buildings we visited in Haiti was created with two 40 foot shipping containers, a long breezeway in between them open to winds, and a second roof. The breezeway created a constant breeze coming through a wooded area, and the building was 15F cooler than it was outside, making it quite comfortable in a country that stays at 95F during the day, year round.

This house is mainly built with repurposed materials and cost under $10,000. Many construction sites throw away thousands of dollars of left over materials. We’ve tiled entire floors, made raised bed gardens and done many other things with materials left by the dumpster.