Refined Rubbish2024 [graduate thesis]
Title: Refined Rubbish: The Case For Design-Enhanced Salvage Materials
Author: Adam Berton
Called Forth: University Of Utah, College of Architecture [ARCH 6819]Supervisor: Lisa Henry
Printer: University Of Utah, Marriott Library
Typography: PP Supply Sans, Roboto Slab
Paper: Mohawk 24lb
Binding: Details Coptic Bind
Cover Design: Laser cut cardboard and spray paint
Proofreading: Grammarly
Graphic Design Precedent: “As Found: The Discovery of the Ordinary”
Acknowledgments: George Venizelos, Chris Venizelos, Michael Abrahamson, Valerie Greer, Lisa Henry,Steven Chodoriwsky, Jörg Rügemer, Elpitha Tsoutsounakis, Timothy Adekunle, Vince Johnson, Anne Mooney, Atsushi Yamamoto, Levi Jackson, David Berton, Lauren Geisler, Casey Segal, Taylor Bond, Carson Besser, Dominic Samoraj, Chris Putt, Evan Vollic-Offer, and all other friends and family
Refined Rubbish is a limited-edition research and design book exploring the potential of salvaged materials in architecture and design. The edition of eight features a corrugated cardboard cover with Coptic binding and documents research into material reuse, embodied energy, cultural narrative, and the challenges of incorporating reclaimed materials into contemporary design. The research develops a framework for restoring value to discarded materials through sustainability, narrative, and design. This investigation culminates in Liberty Salvage, a proposed public reclamation facility that transforms these ideas into an architectural system for processing, storing, and upcycling local demolition waste.
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