Recycled Pieces fill a Modern Industrial Three-Storey House

Using old things in a new way for your own home is affordable, environment-friendly, and interesting. These recycled pieces are some of the reasons why the three-storey house of industrial designer Mitch Shivers is special. Even at the beginning of the design and construction process, Mitch and his wife Shelley knew that they would have a unique home, one that fits the small 140sqm lot that has an odd triangular shape.

The Modern Industrial house is filled with fascinating pieces made from old materials such as a house number from scrap metal tubes, a Mac G3 CPU tower used as a mailbox, a wooden gate and dining table legs made from train tracks (traviesa), and stainless steel fast food preparation tables now used as work desks. The new details of the space are also inventive and exciting. For one, the walls are made of Styrofoam and layered with wire mesh and concrete to keep the structure cool in spite of the intense Manila heat. Other energy-efficient green solutions include solar panels for electricity and to heat water, transparent glass ceiling blocks and huge windows for natural light, and the use of LED lights and inverter-type air conditioners.

Original article by Reese Ferrer. Pictorial direction by Gwyn GS Guanzon. Photographed by Vincent Coscolluela. 

Read the original article ("Mindful Modern") in the July 2011 issue of Real Living Magazine. To download a digital copy of Real Living Magazine, visit Summit Newsstand at  https://summitnewsstand.com.ph/real-living.