Closing the Loop: The Architect's Guide to Recycled Aluminum
Aluminum is a widely used architectural material due to its strength, durability, and infinite recyclability—but its environmental impact varies substantially depending on its source. This program equips architects and design professionals with the technical knowledge needed to reduce embodied carbon through effective aluminum specification.
The session explores the full aluminum recycling process, the characteristics and limitations of secondary aluminum, and how alloy selection, surface quality, and structural behavior influence design outcomes. The participants will learn about the difference between post‑consumer and pre‑consumer recycled aluminum and what questions to ask to ensure to specify the most sustainable aluminum into projects.
Attendees will also learn about the challenges and opportunities within the U.S. aluminum supply chain, including the large volume of scrap exported overseas despite its potential to serve domestic, low‑carbon manufacturing needs. Through real‑world examples and data‑driven analysis, the course demonstrates how increased material circularity supports emissions reduction and industrial resilience and what role architects can play.
The session concludes with practical guidance on reading Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), calculating embodied‑carbon impacts based on recycled content, and applying leading standards and certifications to specify low‑carbon aluminum effectively and responsibly.
Register for the event HERE
Duncan Pitchford is President of Hydro Aluminum Metals USA
J. Duncan Pitchford is President of Hydro Aluminum Metals USA, responsible for Hydro’s Aluminium Metals business unit in the U.S. and additionally holds responsibility for the commercial activities of unit in Central and South America. He also manages the offtake of value added products from Hydro’s global joint ventures. He joined Hydro in 2018, with a broad legal and business background in both the private sector and government service.
Hilde Kallevig, VP Partnerships
Hilde has a decade of experience in the aluminum industry, where she has worked extensively with architects and designers to explore the creative and sustainable potential of aluminum. As former Head of Global Brand at Hydro, she led strategic brand initiatives across 40 markets, including the launch of Hydro’s “Greener Brands.” Hilde has spearheaded collaborative projects with renowned designers such as Tom Dixon and Norwegian creatives, notably through Hydro’s design-driven exhibition at Salone del Mobile in Milan. Now based in San Francisco, she continues to bridge industrial innovation with design thinking, helping shape new markets for more sustainable materials, where she believes that architects and designers are key in accelerating greener production and design.
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1 LU/HSW (pending)
- Explain the aluminum recycling process and identify the performance characteristics—such as alloy behavior, structural considerations, and surface quality—that influence the suitability of secondary aluminum in architectural applications.
- Differentiate between post‑consumer and pre‑consumer aluminum scrap and analyze their respective impacts on embodied‑carbon reduction in building materials and assemblies.
- Evaluate Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for aluminum products and calculate approximate CO₂ emissions related to varying levels of recycled content to support sustainable design decisions.
- Apply relevant U.S. and European sustainability standards, certifications, and specification frameworks to select and plan for the use of low‑carbon or recycled aluminum in architectural projects.
REGISTER HERE
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