Constructed Commons

The Problem of Construction

The construction industry is the leading waste generator in the European Union and Spain (annually), contributing to 38% and 40% of waste respectively. This is likely to grow as new housing units in Madrid are expected to grow from 14,000 (per year) in 2025 to 40,000 by 2040. Currently, many of these materials retain value beyond their intended use. Constructed Commons explores the opportunities of bringing construction waste back to the private realm by developing domestic goods, from seating and lighting to daily goods such as incense holders.

What is Constructed Commons?

Constructed Commons is an open-design project for industrial and product design that focuses on material research, low-tech production, a research-oriented design methodology, and online knowledge sharing. Each object is produced using recycled building materials from Madrid as the primary material. All objects are manufactured using low-tech manufacturing techniques and tools, including screwdrivers and hand mixing. Freely accessible manuals and manufacturing documents for each object can be found on the Constructed Commons website, allowing others to reproduce, modify, refine, or sell the objects.

The Exhibition

This exhibition is a collection of household items, ranging from seating to incense holders, showcasing the functional and creative possibilities of construction waste. Constructed Commons is more than a collection of finished objects; it invites visitors to reconsider waste as a valuable raw material and to imagine a future in which design knowledge is shared with the general public. This encourages everyone to create, produce, and design for themselves and their community using local materials.