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Salvage Automobilia : The Secondary Automotive Market

Part 2 Project 2013
Syazwan Rusdi
University of Malaya | Malaysia
Automotive industry meets the 21st century society demands for transportation with substantial production of brand new car each year. Number of vehicles grew to an unprecedented numbers worldwide. In 2011, over 21 million vehicles were registered in Malaysia and 618,000 units of new cars are expected to be sold the next year. On environmental perspective, carbon footprint of a new car’s manufacturing is enormous regardless of its ‘green features’. In that sense, getting a pre-owned car instead should be a more environmental-friendly option.

With the fact that the current automotive industry is growing more and more unsustainable, obscured by avarice and rash consumerism, this project ventures into Malaysia’s secondary automotive market and experimenting with the prospect of breeding sustainable automotive industry through architectural intervention. It is a manifesto asking for a radical change in the automotive industry. Attempt was focused on instilling ‘automotive upcycling’ mind-sets at the societal level; rejuvenating used and unwanted auto junks into desirable and trendy commodities hence transforming ‘the old as the new new’.

This vision of automotive upcycling is based on a ‘lifecycle development’ system. After vehicles have reached the end of their useful life, they are dismantled and become ‘technical nutrients’ that will be introduced back into the cycle. The facility will involve in dismantling those ‘end of life’ vehicles and salvage their parts to be upcycled. Complete with its own testing track, the facility is also a place of trade for used cars while vehicle maintenance training programs and repair workshops aimed at giving back to the community.

It is hoped that this facility’s module could highlight a point on how to reconcile sustainability and consumerism in a more holistic context that will extends beyond the automotive industry itself.

Syazwan Rusdi

Tutor(s)







2013
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