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Daniel Schmidt-Antunes

BArch

I am interested in the intersection between technology, sustainability, and architecture, as shown in my graduation project, (Re)Summoning Wastescapes, marrying waste collection and transformation technologies with engaging spaces.

(Re)Summoning Wastescapes

The Thames is respected by all but owned by none, meaning it has constantly been in a state of disregard with high waste pollution levels. The project aims to resolve the waste problem by introducing a recycling hub, akin to a civic Center for river waste, starting from the Thames and growing to polluted open waters beyond. Waste is collected and re-imagined through mechanising a lost profession that once transported waste along the Great River, re-establishing a river-focused recycling culture (Gentle Author, 2015).

The Thames currently faces severe plastic pollution, particularly around the Putney area. A plastic sinking site, with large amounts of plastic accumulating on the shoreline (Briggs, 2020), is situated towards the north-west of the River. The quantity of plastic is significant when the tide lowers in the Thames at West Putney. The project proposes an evolution of the Thames’s role in waste recycling, as Putney was a route for many lightermen, who, in times of economic downturn, turned towards waste transportation using the Thames and became the first group to clean the Thames and recycle London’s waste utilising the River.

Section A showing the library, funnel, and entrance.

The Atrium is where the robots in the central funnel drop off waste; users can collect recycled transformed items from the central funnel.

The library is a mixed-use space where users on a visit can stop and engage with holograms that depict the history of Waste collection and the global impact of waste on the first floor or manually control a robot to collect waste on the ground floor. Those wishing to work or read can do so through the provided seating spaces on the ground and first floor.
At the entrance, robots arrive during the day to recharge and leave at night to collect waste. Robots with sufficient power may not need to return and can be remotely accessed by the project visitor.
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