Friday 17 October 2025, 9.30am-5pm
University of Liverpool, School of Arts Library, 19 Abercromby Sq, L7 7BD.
As architects re-evaluate the relationship between the built environment and materials previously categorised as ‘natural’ or ‘waste’, this day-long interdisciplinary symposium takes a deeper look at the contested histories as well as design possibilities associated with agro-industrial by-products, mineral tailings, and discarded construction materials.
Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/values-of-waste-tickets-1724185257519
Or RSVP to: alistair.cartwright@liverpool.ac.uk
Tickets are free but limited. All welcome.
Confirmed speakers:
Prof. Dwight Carey (keynote, Amherst College)
Dr. Han-Mei Chen (University of Liverpool)
Prof. Vijaya Teelock (Former Vice-Chair of the Truth and Justice Commission of Mauritius)
George Massoud (Material Cultures co-director)
Armor Gutierrez (UEL, Sugarcrete® Project Lead)
Dr. Robby Fivez (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
Dr. Elliott Sturtevant (co-organiser, Florida International University)
Further details:
Examples like cladding made from corn cores or building blocks from sugar cane waste highlight the complex and sometimes problematic ties to plantation histories. Similarly, earthen architectures that are deeply connected to indigenous practices have also seen the recycling of ‘toxic landscapes’ by aid agencies and private enterprise. This event will facilitate challenging interdisciplinary dialogues, asking questions such as:
– How are ‘natural’ and ‘waste’ materials valued, produced, and transformed?
– Do recycling efforts redress or inadvertently conceal histories of labour exploitation?
– What role have bio-based and waste materials played in grassroots and resistant practices?
– What lessons can architects learn from history?
– And what new historical narratives emerge from design experimentation?