Unfulfilled Potential 2: Completing construction mock-ups & diverting waste

The Useful Waste Initiative is based on two central goals; first to divert usable construction material waste, specifically stand-alone construction mock-ups, and second, to support local community efforts, such as transitional housing units and service offices or wifi hubs or bus shelters.

Construction mock-ups are small prototype structures of a larger building (approx. 8’-0” x 12’-0”). Project teams use mock-ups to set quality standards and construction expectations to inform the primary building construction. Typically, these mock-ups are destroyed and thrown away in the mixed debris construction dumpster. With pre-planning and setting project waste diversion goals, these materials (including labor and monetary investment) can be reused for smaller community design projects.

Learn more at usefulwaste.org.

Guest speaker: Jay Nees, Walsh Construction

Learning Objectives:

1. To introduce new strategies to reuse or repurpose for stand-alone construction mockup design.

2. To understand the process, benefits, and liability of diverting construction mock-ups and implement this process within your firm or company.

3. To become familiar with the Useful Waste Initiative and the Center for Public Interest Design at Portland State University.

4. To learn how to design construction mock-ups to be donated and identify useable excess construction materials that can be donated and repurposed on small scale community projects.

HSW Statement:

“This session focuses on construction waste management workflows to support on-site safety practices, foster equitable access to shelter within under-served communities, and to promote social and physical well-being of users.”

AIA CEU - self-reported credits available (1HSW/CEU)