Recycling
RE-BUILT Glass
Research period: 2019–2022
The Re-built Glass project was born at the intersection of sustainability and applied arts. I explored the possibilities of recycling architectural and hollow glass waste, as well as glass sludge, in order to transform useless waste into valuable, contemporary design products.
Research and Scholarship
My research took place between 2019 and 2022, connected to my master’s program at the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, with the support of the New National Excellence Program.
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Scholarship title: Recycling of hollow and architectural glass, glass sludge in the spirit of sustainability
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Supervisor: Edit Kondor DLA
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Thesis: Examination of waste processing in the field of glass (consultant: Gábor Ébli PhD)
The thesis presents the domestic and international situation of the topic, and focuses on my own experiments, which led to the creation of new silicate materials and an innovative insulating material invention called Foam Glass.
Experiments and Results
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Aim: to investigate the recyclability of architectural glass waste (float glass, glass sludge) through lower-energy processes.
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Method: experiments at different temperatures with additives and coloring agents.
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Results:
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by fusing: glass tiles, glass bricks, architectural panels,
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by pâte-de-verre technique: decorative objects,
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a new insulating material: Foam Glass.
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Measurements and material testing were carried out with the help of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Pannonia (consultant: Dr. Tamás Korim PhD).
Mission and Values
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Vision: to create applied art products that are not only beautiful but also contribute to protecting the planet.
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Mission: conscious collection of architectural glass waste and giving it a second life as valuable design objects.
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Core value: handmade, sustainably designed contemporary design pieces.
Master’s Thesis: Re-built Glass
The title of my master’s project is also Re-built Glass – The Rebuilt Glass.
I was inspired by the logical, simple structural principles of vernacular architecture. My aim was to transform glass waste into new, surprising surfaces and textures, while considering sustainability throughout the entire production cycle.
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Supervisor: András Mohácsi DLA
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Debut: 360 Design Budapest 2022 exhibition at the Bálna, with a moving wall installation I designed, made from the new recycled glass material.
Press and Recognition
The project has been featured in numerous interviews and media platforms:
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Klasszik Rádió: The new life of glass waste
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Elle Decoration (Jan–Mar 2023) – EDIDA 2023 Nominee: Sustainable Initiative of the Year
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Magyar Kultúra magazine – interview with Kinga Gáspár
Stories about me
🏆 Success on a path once thought impossible
As Hype&Hyper wrote: “The glass industry considered the fusion of glass and ceramics impossible, but Zsuzsanna Deák proved that nothing is impossible.”
👉 Read the full article »
🌿 New life from glass waste
Sokszínű Vidék highlighted how I transform architectural glass debris, once buried in landfills, into valuable design products: “To our knowledge, no one before has created applied art objects from 100% architectural glass waste.”
👉 Read the full article »
💡 A new material from waste glass
Professional media described the Re-built Glass as a breakthrough material, produced with lower energy consumption and opening new possibilities in both architecture and applied arts.
👩🎨 From sports to art
As a young athlete, I was a national champion kayaker with Olympic dreams. A serious injury forced me to give up sports, leading me to discover another vocation – glass art.
🌱 Life close to nature
Together with my family, I live on a homestead in Domaszék, where we grow fruit trees, cultivate a vegetable garden, keep sheep, and even have a pond. This environment inspires my creations and deepens my commitment to sustainability and nature.
