Bioplastic
DURATION February 2026 - Ongoing
CONTEXT Semesterproject
CREDITS Anna Berghammer
Rebuild by Constantin Eich and Anna Berghammer is a semester project that questions what happens to material once it has served its original purpose. The starting point was a simple observation: every few semesters, OTH Regensburg's geotechnical lab discards dozens of concrete test cylinders — cast, tested to failure, and thrown away. The material itself is undamaged. Only its assigned purpose has expired. The response was to treat this waste not as debris to be disposed of, but as a raw material with its own character — its imperfections, casting marks, and rough surfaces read as qualities rather than flaws. Inspired by Chris Kabel's "Fogo Finds," Rebuild reframes the end of one lifecycle as the beginning of another. The concrete cylinders are combined with multiplex wood panels and connected using ribbed steel — chosen specifically over smooth rod for the mechanical grip it provides within the concrete. Two objects emerge from this system: a side table and a stool, both built around the cylinder's existing form rather than disguising it. Because the cylinders accumulate predictably every semester, the pieces are inherently repeatable — each object tied to a specific batch of material, yet reproducible as long as the lab keeps testing. This regularity is what turns a single prototype into the foundation of an ongoing series, rather than a one-off experiment. Rebuild is also the starting point for something larger: a platform where construction waste itself becomes visible and accessible — where people can discover designs built from Bauschutt, order or build them, and find out where and when material becomes available for pickup. Your waste is our material.