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Collection by Jaime Gillin

A Super-Recycled House in the Netherlands

In the eastern Netherlands, resourceful recyclers Superuse Studios have built a house almost entirely out of locally-sourced scrap, from old billboards to broken umbrellas. Here's a look at how junk became innovative design.

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One of the original cable reels.
One of the original cable reels.
The facade is clad with 600 recycled cable reels. According to Jongert, "It took about seven minutes to dismantle each one, yielding quite a lot of wood each time." The wood was heat-treated at high temperatures, a natural weatherproofing technique.
The facade is clad with 600 recycled cable reels. According to Jongert, "It took about seven minutes to dismantle each one, yielding quite a lot of wood each time." The wood was heat-treated at high temperatures, a natural weatherproofing technique.
The cabinetry in the kitchen and elsewhere is crafted from discarded, chopped-up billboards. White paint camouflages their fronts, but when pulled open, their colorful sides offer a glimpse of their previous life as streetside advertising.
The cabinetry in the kitchen and elsewhere is crafted from discarded, chopped-up billboards. White paint camouflages their fronts, but when pulled open, their colorful sides offer a glimpse of their previous life as streetside advertising.
Looking for a creative way to light Blans's painting collection, the architects collected old, broken umbrellas from Utrecht residents, and transformed them into whimsical and adjustable halogen lamps that latch onto the interior walls.
Looking for a creative way to light Blans's painting collection, the architects collected old, broken umbrellas from Utrecht residents, and transformed them into whimsical and adjustable halogen lamps that latch onto the interior walls.
A detail of the original umbrella frame that was repurposed.
A detail of the original umbrella frame that was repurposed.