Inside This Sydney Apartment Made With Recycled Materials

The push for more sustainable building practices has been met by an industry-first apartment made using waste materials.

Australian property group Mirvac recently revealed the revolutionary Pavilions apartment at Sydney Olympic Park which boasts flooring, wall tiles, kitchen and lighting features, furniture and artworks all made from waste glass and textiles.

The new apartment utilises ‘green ceramics’, a process developed by Mirvac and UNSW’s Centre of Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) led by waste technology pioneer, Professor Veena Sahajwalla.

Green ceramics takes problematic waste materials, predominantly waste and textiles, and reforms them into new products through a combination of heat and compression. In the Pavilions apartment, all tiles are made from yellow bin glass and textiles, by way of example.

“In Australia, the building industry is responsible for around 60 per cent of the waste we generate,” Ms Lloyd Hurqitz, Mirvac CEO and managing director said.

“At Pavilions, we have been able to demonstrate a better way to build, using reformed waste, which not only helps our industry but provides a valuable second life for the mountains of glass and clothing, much of which would otherwise find its way to landfill.”

The next stage in the SMaRT centre collaboration is to investigate opportunities to establish a facility to enable local sourcing and manufacture of waste into green ceramics.

The SMaRT centre is also assisting Mirvac on its other development sites in Sydney, identifying materials that can be diverted to recycling or reforming before demolition works begin.

A Mid-Century Modern home in Carmel, California, hit the market on Friday for just the third time in 70 years with a listing price of $4.25 million.

Located in the community of Carmel Highlands, the house is just steps from the coastline and comes with private beach access, according to the listing with Tim Allen of Coldwell Banker Realty in Northern California. Allen was not immediately available for comment.

The property last changed hands in 2010 when Hollywood screenwriter Richard Outten bought it for $990,000, public records show. Outten penned the screenplays for the 1992 movie “Pet Sematary Two” and the 1987 film “Lionheart,” and created the story for the 2012 “Journey to the Center of the Earth” sequel, “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” He was not immediately available for comment.

Built in 1953, the home’s mid-century charm has been preserved over the years while still being updated for modern living. Interior details include wood paneling, exposed-brick walls and beamed ceilings.

The single-level house has 1,785 square feet, which includes three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Though not directly on the water, large windows flanking the adobe-brick, wood-burning fireplace look out at the ocean.

Sliding glass doors create a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor living. Outside, there’s a large patio surrounded by lush landscaping, and there are also meandering paths through sustainable succulent gardens, according to the listing.

In addition to its close proximity to the beach, the home is a 10-minute walk from downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea.

As of July, the median list price in Carmel is $3.1 million, up 8% from last year, even as active listings have increased 50% year over year, according to data from Realtor.com.

Inside This Sydney Apartment Made With Recycled Materials

How ‘green ceramics’ could revolutionise the future of building.

Owned by Richard Outten, who’s penned screenplays for films including “Pet Sematary Two” and “Lionheart,” this is only the third time the home has been on the market