The materials used in today’s construction industry shape not only the built environment but also the landscapes from which they are extracted. Large infrastructures such as quarries and cement plants sustain this system, while ongoing urban demolition reveals a growing disconnect from material origins. As concrete remains the world’s most widely used building material, its lifecycle and reuse potential must be reconsidered.
This research investigates concrete demolition as a resource beyond backfilling and road substructures, exploring its potential as a landscape-shaping material. Existing concrete slabs are reused three-dimensionally to form terrain, edges, and spatial transitions.
To translate theoretical knowledge into something tangible, a social sculpture has been created. On a temporarily used vacant site, abandoned saw-cut concrete slabs and a second-hand pool liner are reassembled into a solid structure. Through hands-on experimentation, the project explores material properties, weight, and handling constraints. Concrete rubble is examined as urban debris, recycled matter, and a viable building material in its existing form.
