Here's a little explanation of some of the images.
The old train depot is not architecturally significant to Ruston. However, it is culturally significant. Once the railroad and depot were built, the population shifted from Vienna to Ruston, making it the central hub activity. It has been said that the city of Ruston is going to tear down the depot,but I am proposing the idea of "recycling" a building to "recycle" waste.
In 1913, Henry Ford used the assembly line to mass produce Model T cars. This mass production mass consumption. Mass consumption has caused massive amounts of garbage. However, I'm taking another look at the assembly line and using it as a huge part of the architecture for my building. Products go through the assembly line to get into our hands, but then they also go through the same sort of process to be recycled. The process and the architecture can be used to teach the public about the need for taking better care of our environment.
The depot will be the main public interface. It will include a lecture room and gallery space. I would like to restore it mostly to its original condition, but incorporate materials that will connect the two buildings.
The warehouse is the "machine". It will house part of the recycling process before it is shipped to another location: drop-off area, balers, shipping containers, and a large over head crane that will transport the containers from the warehouse to the train.
A catwalk will connect the two buildings, allowing the public to get a bird's eye view of the recycling process. I think this is one my favorite things in this project.
