United Bottle proposes a new form of plastic bottle designed to function as instant building material. The project's working hypothesis is that design should think beyond the product, and consider the waste the product will turn into – in order to open up possibilities for prospective secondary uses. Over fifty billion PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PP (polypropylene) bottles are currently circulating in Europe alone. Since the obligatory bottle deposit was introduced, the return quota has exceeded 90 percent. PET/PP bottles can be used as returnable bottles, recycled, and transformed into a variety of products – from all forms of vessels to fabrics. This process – called "Up-cycling" – mostly occurs in China, while the final products are sold again on the global market. The intersection of local and global circuits forms the basis of United_Bottle. Taking into consideration the increasing scarcity of resources, United_Bottle explores the possibility of additional recycling circuits. The form of newly designed PET/PP bottles can be easily integrated into existing PET/PP bottle production processes and can efficiently fit into standardized shipping boxes. Once ‘used’, the bottles can be filled with found materials and reused as prefabricated building units for the construction of both temporary or permanent structures. 

For Dirk Hebel and Jörg Stollmann, a design concept based on secondary use requires full-scale testing and the participatory involvement of prospective users in design development. As primary use is guided by the production, distribution and marketing logistics of the industry, parameters that allow for secondary use and appropriation have to be defined right from the beginning. During their fellowship term at Van Alen Institute, Hebel and Stollmann launched the "United_Bottle Participate!" campaign, soliciting designers, architects, critics and prospective users to imagine potential implementation concepts and design proposals for United_Bottle. This ongoing process, in combination with research into bottle production technologies in Europe, Asia, and the United States, will define the bottle’s shape as well as its future circuit system. Additionally, Hebel and Stollmann collaborated with the Institute to organize a discussion between Michael Bell, Giuseppe Lignano, Alessandra Ponte and Mark Wasiuta on secondary use strategies in architectural education and practice. The exhibition at Van Alen Institute includes a full-scale bottle shelter that tests a range of building materials and construction methods, accompanied by excerpts from the discussion on secondary use, and all submissions to the “Participate!” campaign received to date.

For more information about United Bottle, please visit www.united-bottle.org.

Exhibition: March 28, 2008 - April 25, 2008
Van Alen Institute, 30 West 22nd Street, 6th Floor

Opening: Friday, March 28, 2008, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
with presentation by Dirk Hebel and Jörg Stollmann

"Secondary Use" Workshop: February 3, 2008
with Giuseppe Lignano, Alessandra Ponte, Mark Wasiuta, Michael Bell

United Bottle is additionally supported by RED DOT.