Plastic Reimagined: Turning Campus Waste into Stylish Adirondack Chairs and Public Seating
What if the plastics we toss aside every day could be transformed into something beautiful—and useful? That’s the idea behind Plastic Reimagined, an exciting exhibition at Atlanta Contemporary. From June 21 to September 7, 2025, visitors will be able to view Adirondack chairs and other shared seating and tables made from 100% recycled plastics sourced from Georgia Tech’s campus.
This project goes beyond recycling, as it explores how the careful redesign of products can divert waste from the landfill and create beautiful, functional furniture.
Waste to Design
The project originated in Spring 2025 in ARCH 6050: Architectural Studio Design + Research, a course in Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture led by Assistant Professor Hyojin Kwon, founder of Pre- & Post-.
Students found and collected expired or discarded plastics—HDPE and PLA—from makerspaces, recycling facilities, and other campus waste streams. The plastics were shredded, pressed into sheets, CNC milled, or cast into modular forms.
The finished plastic chairs are spectacular. The resulting product has marbled patterns, irregular textures, and slight imperfections that provide a playful and beautiful outcome. Each chair is a reminder that waste materials are often overlooked, but beauty can be found in these things.
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For more on recycled plastics, visit EPA: Recycling Basics
Rethinking the Traditional Adirondack Chair
Much of the work related to the original Adirondack chair. The students explored the following:
- Lamination techniques
- Voxel-based 3D modeling
- Custom-mold casting
- Modular assembly
Each chair was tested for comfort, stability, and adjustability. In the end, we have a collection of Adirondack chairs made of plastic that are sustainable, functional, ergonomic, and visually appealing.
In the gallery, the chairs and tables were displayed as public landscape, with videos showing each process from collecting waste to finished furniture.
Sustainability Meets Community
What began as a studio project has grown into a hands-on example of how product redesign can drive sustainability. This project shows:
- How local waste can be transformed into plastic chairs
- How design can encourage community participation
- That sustainable furniture can be as functional as wooden chairs
- How small imperfections can make each piece unique and beautiful
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Why Plastic Reimagined Matters
- Promotes circular design using campus waste
- Turns discarded plastics into functional, comfortable plastic chairs and chairs and tables
- Demonstrates practical product redesign for sustainability
- Encourages hands-on community engagement
- Inspires new ways of thinking about public furniture
Plastic Reimagined proves that functional furniture doesn’t have to come at the expense of sustainability—or creativity.
FAQs About Plastic Reimagined & Sustainable Seating
Q1.How are Plastic Reimagined chairs any different from regular plastic or wooden chairs?
Plastic Reimagined chairs are made entirely from recycled plastics and, through thoughtful product design, have been reimagined to provide comfort and visual appeal, while being sustainable.
Q2. Why use the Adirondack chair as a reference?
The Adirondack chair’s classic shape is both recognizable and ergonomic, making it the best starting point for exploring plastic chair design.
Q3. Are the chairs sturdy enough for public use?
Yes. When designed correctly, recycled plastic chairs are as strong and durable as traditional wooden chairs, with a unique visual appeal.
Q4. Are these design ideas transferrable to other public spaces?
Of course. The ideas behind this furniture could lead to an interesting sustainable option for new sustainable furniture in parks, schools, and community spaces.
Summary
Plastic Reimagined shows that waste does not need to be wasted. It takes campus waste and re-imagines it into products as true Adirondack chairs, group seating, and playful public furniture. Through the lens of products re-design, this project demonstrates how to create more sustainable spaces that have functional applications and aesthetic value.
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