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Courses/Architecture/Sustainability / Climate

Recycled Materials in Architecture: From Waste to Wonder

Technical, Sustainable and Artistic Approaches to Circular Material Design

Created byTyra Oseng-Rees
BeginnerUpdated Mar 10, 2026
Recycled Materials in Architecture: From Waste to Wonder

What You'll Learn

check_circleEvaluate recycled materials beyond sustainability claims, including performance and compliance.
check_circleUnderstand how material testing underpins confidence in recycled material specification.
check_circleIdentify design and procurement challenges unique to recycled and bespoke materials.
check_circleApply circular economy principles across a range of architectural material types.
check_circleTranslate sustainability goals into buildable, well-integrated design solutions.

About This Course

As architects and AEC professionals respond to increasing sustainability, carbon, and circular economy requirements, the challenge is no longer whether to use recycled materials—but how to specify them responsibly, creatively, and with confidence.

This live technical webinar examines how recycled materials can move from environmental intent to architectural performance, using fused recycled glass as a detailed case study. Led by award-winning materials researcher and designer Dr. Tyra Oseng-Rees, the session explores how waste streams can become durable, compliant, and meaningful building materials when sustainability, testing, and design intent are addressed together.

Through real architectural installations, heritage projects, and material testing examples, participants will gain insights applicable across recycled glass, aggregates, metals, and composite materials. The webinar balances technical considerations with artistic and spatial outcomes, helping professionals make informed decisions that satisfy performance, design quality, and sustainability aspirations.

Key concepts and practical applications:

  • Understand the environmental, regulatory, and market drivers pushing the demand for recycled materials in modern architecture.
  • Analyze the flat glass recycling gap, identifying the challenges of coatings, laminations, and current demolition practices.
  • Master circular design principles, including cradle-to-cradle thinking, designing for disassembly, dry fixing, and implementing material passports.
  • Examine cutting-edge, innovative uses of glass in architecture through global examples like the Crystal Houses in The Netherlands and Magna Glass Ceramics in Germany.
  • Dive into an exclusive case study of the award-winning Buttermarket retrofit in Cornwall, detailing the development, material testing, and installation of fused recycled glass shingles.
  • Evaluate the Life Cycle Assessment of upcycled glass, demonstrating significant reductions in carbon emissions compared to virgin float glass production.

 

Your Instructor

Tyra Oseng-Rees
Tyra Oseng-Rees

Founder and Director | Oseng-Rees Reflection Ltd

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Award-winning designer and TEDx speaker, Dr. Tyra Oseng-Rees, transforms waste glass into high-performance design solutions. Her keynotes inspire organizations to embrace circular innovation, unlock creativity, and turn sustainability into a powerful driver of growth and competitive advantage. Keynote Speaker Dr. Tyra Oseng-Rees is an award-winning designer, entrepreneur, and sustainability advocate, recognized internationally for her pioneering work in circular innovation. As Founder and Director of Oseng-Rees Reflection Ltd, she leads the UK’s only company producing architectural panels made entirely from 100% recycled glass. Her groundbreaking approach transforms construction, automotive, and bottle glass into high-performance design solutions, demonstrating how waste can be reimagined as opportunity. Known for her engaging TEDx talks and extensive industry experience, Dr. Oseng-Rees delivers keynotes that inspire organizations to embrace sustainability, creativity, and leadership as strategic drivers of growth. With a proven track record of innovation, she has collaborated with universities, businesses, and policymakers to advance research, design, and systemic change in the built environment. Her achievements, including multiple sustainability and design awards, highlight her authority as a thought leader who bridges academia, entrepreneurship, and design.

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We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.