“New York City produces approximately 14 million tons of waste annually, spreading to landfills in other states. We seek to change the perception of waste, looking into the concept not as a noun but as a verb, the action when a resource is being squandered, as a way of proposing strategies to see this element not as an urban and environmental problem, but as an asset. The project looks into each category of waste to design a system of in-situ local infrastructures that can turn its current spreading cycle into a full circle.

The South Bronx’s area of Mott Haven was selected as the site of this transcalar project, where instead of only designing a more efficient machine, this prototype desires to redefine the current system and New Yorker’s perception of waste, seeking to empower the community through an evolutionary program that promotes creative upcycling as a tool for economic autonomy. This redefinition involves new, multi-scalar interactions between waste and people by incentivizing resource management as part of the urban landscape. Giving these materials a permanent but evolving space in the city creates new opportunities for community engagements where the waste cycle occupies a greater role in NYC urban life.