Stacked Rubble is an innovative architectural project in Ahmedabad, India, that transforms construction waste into a sustainable community library. It repurposes rubble, reclaimed bricks, and metal from local demolition and scrap markets to create a low-cost, modular structure. The library’s frame uses cuboid modules made from reclaimed metal L-sections and mesh, filled with debris and supported by reclaimed wooden columns. A double-layered envelope—with an outer rainscreen of rubble and an inner wall of reclaimed bricks—offers durability and thermal comfort.
The library functions not only as a reading space but also as an educational hub. It provides access to books, hosts workshops, and serves as a demonstration site for sustainable building techniques. Located within Ahmedabad’s dense pol neighborhoods, it engages the local community in learning and dialogue around environmental responsibility.
Designed for scalability, its prefabricated modules can be mass-produced and assembled on-site, generating employment for construction laborers and promoting ethical labor practices. By avoiding new material extraction, the project also challenges exploitative industries like kiln-based brick production. Stacked Rubble exemplifies how architecture can embrace circular design, extend material life cycles, and empower communities—proving that waste can be a resource and construction can be both ecological and socially just.