AlterNative
2022
A research project into locally-sourced architecture, using digital fabrication to build with Hong Kong's own waste.
Collaborators
Lidia Ratoi,
Jeff Widjaja, Liu Yiran Sally, Elena Gu
Context
To work as locally as possible, sourcing materials from what is already around rather than bringing them in from elsewhere. This meant reusing Hong Kong's own waste streams and looking back to traditional building techniques that did the same.
Development
AlterNative is a workshop that forms part of an ongoing research project aimed at uncovering ethical approaches to architecture by exploring various dimensions of sustainability: material, technological, social, and historical. Building on the research of "Impossible Bricks" by Lidia Ratoi at the University of Hong Kong, this initiative investigates innovative methods of reusing food and construction waste, Hong Kong's two largest waste streams, within the context of digital fabrication.
Drawing inspiration from traditional building techniques, such as mud construction in different parts of the world and the use of oysters in traditional Cantonese architecture, the workshop experimented with additive manufacturing using locally sourced waste materials: oyster shells. Participants used a robotic arm at HKU to 3D print and cast oyster shells gathered from the Lau Fau Shan region.
The project is deeply rooted in Hong Kong, with all materials sourced locally. These include oyster shells from Lau Fau Shan oyster farms, waste from Hong Kong's wet markets, discarded materials from Cheoy Lee Shipyards, and construction debris from various sites across the islands.
Outcome
Participants constructed two prototype walls for a real-world project at Sai Yuen Camping Park on Cheung Chau Island, which sponsors and hosts the pavilion, and where visitors can explore the prototypes on-site. A final house prototype was developed as part of this research. The project is generously supported by Design Trust.