Australian architectural firm Techne has recently redesigned the Prahran Hotel and pub. The process involved the demolition of the rear extension to be replaced with a very unique and modern addition.

The designers chose to use large concrete pipes as both the pub's seating and outer facade. The tubes are stacked on top of each other to meet the building’s two-story height while still allowing plenty of natural light in through the windows. There are 17 pipes in all. The ones used for customers can hold anywhere from two to twelve guests and are complete with leather seating and timber paneling.

Other unique aspects of this renovation include the large open courtyard that enhances natural light and the concrete half-pipe that has been mounted on steel beams, acting as an alternate dining booth. The interior of the building is a mix of unfinished concrete and metal. This feature helps to contrast the warmth of the natural wood and leather found throughout the structure.

Via Lauren Moss

One man’s trash is said to be another man’s treasure, and now old cargo shipping containers are rapidly becoming sought-after treasure in the architecture industry.

The term cargotecture, coined in 2005 by HyBrid Architecture, is used to describe any building partially or entirely built from recycled ISO shipping containers. It may seem strange that such a simple, aesthetically-unappealing box could be so loved by modern architects, but the increased use of reclaimed materials in architecture is starting to show no bounds.

In a world dominated by mass production, architects are being forced to find alternative ways of designing buildings that will make the smallest impact on the earth. Extending the life of discarded materials and saving salvageable items from landfill is a completely viable approach.

Shipping containers are resistant to fire, termites, hurricanes and earthquakes, proving themselves to be extremely resilient.

Somewhat like stacking blocks of Lego, steel or aluminum shipping containers are a perfectly strong building block...

Via Lauren Moss