• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
University of Brighton
  • About us
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • For
    students
  • For
    staff
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study here
    • Get to know us
    • Why choose Brighton?
    • Explore our prospectus
    • Chat to our students
    • Ask us a question
    • Meet us
    • Open days and visits
    • Virtual tours
    • Applicant days
    • Meet us in your country
    • Campuses
    • Our campuses
    • Our city
    • Accommodation options
    • Our halls
    • Helping you find a home
    • What you can study
    • Find a course
    • Full A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Our academic departments
    • How to apply
    • Undergraduate application process
    • Postgraduate application process
    • International student application process
    • Apprenticeships
    • Transfer from another university
    • International students
    • Clearing
    • Funding your time at uni
    • Fees and financial support
    • What's included in your fees
    • Brighton Boost – extra financial help
    • Advice and guidance
    • Advice for students
    • Guide for offer holders
    • Advice for parents and carers
    • Advice for schools and colleges
    • Supporting you
    • Your academic experience
    • Your wellbeing
    • Your career and employability
  • Research
    • Research and knowledge exchange
    • Research and knowledge exchange organisation
    • The Global Challenges
    • Centres of Research Excellence (COREs)
    • Research Excellence Groups (REGs)
    • Our research database
    • Information for business
    • Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD research disciplines and programmes
    • PhD funding opportunities and studentships
    • How to apply for your PhD
    • Research environment
    • Investing in research careers
    • Strategic plan
    • Research concordat
    • News, events, publications and films
    • Featured research and knowledge exchange projects
    • Research and knowledge exchange news
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Research and knowledge exchange publications and films
    • Academic staff search
  • About us
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility
Search our site
Image of checkland building falmer campus
About us
  • About us
  • Your university
  • Governance and structure
  • Working with us
  • Statistics and legal
  • News and events
  • Contact us
  • News and events
  • News
  • 2014
  • Waste House wins top awards

Waste House wins top awards

The University of Brighton's Waste House has scooped two national awards.

14 July 2014

The project – the building of a house made almost entirely from waste – won both the Building or Property Project award and the Waste & Resource Management award in the 2degrees annual Champions Award at Wembley Stadium.

2degrees is billed as the "world's leading community for sustainable business, with 41,000 professionals working together to drive efficiency and growth through being more sustainable". The awards are the only ones voted for by industry peers – 240 organisations entered for awards and almost 8,000 members voted.

In being crowned Building of the Year, 2degrees said Waste House was "built almost entirely of waste and surplus materials, including recycled bricks, timber off-cuts destined for skips, ply sheets and even old toothbrushes, video cassettes and DVDs.

David Pendegrass, Duncan Baker-Brown, Cat Fletcher and James Cryer.

David Pendegrass, Duncan Baker-Brown, Cat Fletcher and James Cryer.

"The aim of the project is to prove that a low energy building can be constructed out of materials that are normally discarded and that ‘there is no such thing as waste just stuff in the wrong place’. It also looks to highlight the environmental and socio-economic problems associated with disposing of man-made plastics."

2degrees said: "By collaborating with local construction companies, factories, the council and schools, the Waste House is an investment in educating the next generation of designers and builders to think and build sustainably."

Attending the awards ceremony was Duncan Baker-Brown, Waste House architect and Senior Lecturer in the university's Faculty of Arts, Cat Fletcher from the reuse organisation FREEGLE UK and who was runner up in the Sustainability Champion of the Year award, David Pendegrass from Mears, the UKs leading provider of social housing repairs and maintenance, who project managed the Waste House, and James Cryer, Mears' Partnering Manager.

Duncan Baker-Brown said: "We are delighted and thrilled to receive these awards. They are a reflection of the hard work, dedication and commitment by many including volunteers, apprentices, Brighton and Hove City College students, university architecture students, members of the public, school students, the University of Brighton, FREEGLE UK, Brighton and Hove City Council, a host of individual companies and organisations and, of course, the Mears Group.

"Everyone should take a bow."

The house, constructed in the grounds of the university's Grand Parade campus, will showcase new technologies and will continue to be retrofitted, allowing designers and students to test their windows, solar panels, insulation and construction materials.

Back to top
  • Facebook
  • X logo
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn icon

Contact us

University of Brighton
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

Sign up for updates

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Explore our prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • Graduation
  • Site information
  • Online shop
  • The Student Contract

Information for Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents