From House to Home: Recontextualising Construction Waste
by Jack Stannard
Spindle Stool in context
Spindle Stool
Detail view of joinery technique
Project Description
The Spindle Stool is made entirely from construction waste. This project aims to build a connection between people and how their furniture is constructed and where the materials come from. In Australia, 40% of all the waste that is sent to landfill is currently generated through residential and commercial construction waste streams. By working with a group of local Sydney builders, this project explored how different waste materials could be managed and processed into furniture instead of being sent to landfill. The stool itself is a small example of how a larger system of sustainable waste management could have positive economic and environmental outcomes.
The design is a multi-purpose stool and side table. It is made from upcycled floorboards and hardwood rafters. The legs have been carefully twisted and steam-bent into shape. It has no fasteners and is held together with a durable friction fit and a small amount of glue. Ultimately, the Spindle Stool aims to reframe the perception of waste as something that can be beautiful and functional.
Visual survey of construction waste
Steam bending process and experimentation
Diagram of the material reuse system
Bio
Jack is a Sydney-based designer with a passion for sustainable design and enthusiasm for simplicity and utility. He has worked as a carpenter and painter since the age of 15 in his father’s business, surrounded by a creative family of artists, designers and musicians. Jack graduated in 2020 from UTS with a Bachelor of Product Design, refining and applying a wide set of practical and innovative design skills. In 2019/2020, as a part of a UTS design team, Jack worked with DNSW to create an installation for the 2021 Sydney Vivid light festival, gaining valuable experience in managing the manufacturing and design process of large-scale public installations. Since the beginning of 2020, Jack has owned and operated his own sustainable furniture design and manufacturing business. Here he utilises reclaimed materials and experiments with traditional craftsmanship and new technologies, such as 3D printing and CNC-machining, to create high-quality functional designs.
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