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Virginia Tech

Beyond Waste: Uncovering the Hidden Potential of Coal Ash

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The thesis lies at the intersection of the concepts of "beyond" meaning surpassing and "waste" referring to the materials and resources that are often discarded or overlooked, are the focus of this project. Overall, the project represents a commitment to surpassing conventional limits and transforming waste into a valuable resource. This project also proposes a new ethical architectural practice that seeks to challenge traditional design approaches by exploring the potential of waste as a valuable input in building design. By deviating from conventional methods and proposing new ideas, the study aims to rethink traditional practices and create a new view toward the incorporation of waste in architecture. By adopting the principles outlined in the book "Cradle to Cradle" the project embraces the 4 R's of recycling, reducing, reusing, and recovering, demonstrating how waste can be transformed into valuable input in building design. This ethical framework emphasizes the reuse, recycling, repurposing, and recovery of waste in architecture. Through this project, the aim is to challenge the current ways in which architecture is designed, with a view toward promoting sustainable practices and a more responsible approach to architectural design. Ultimately, this thesis offers a new ethical perspective on how waste can participate in the way we design buildings, and presents a potential pathway towards a more sustainable future for the field of architecture.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Architecture
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Architecture
Department dc:contributor.department
Architecture
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2023

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Tanrikulu, Dilek
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Jones, James R.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Jones, Kevin William
  • Becker, Edward Gentry

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:37772
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/115872

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Tanrikulu, Dilek. Beyond Waste: Uncovering the Hidden Potential of Coal Ash. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2023. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/115872