Skip to main content
17-25 October 2026

Constructed Commons

A collection of open-design domestic products using construction waste sourced across Madrid, Spain.

Hosted by Thomas Jackman Kuwabara

This project is now archived and was part of DDW26

Collection of Designed Objects
Collection of Designed Objects
Thomas Jackman Kuwabara
Constructed Commons transforms construction waste sourced in Madrid into a variety of domestic products. Using low-tech fabrication and open-design information, this project reimagines waste as a local resource.

The Problem of Construction

The construction industry is the leading waste generator in the European Union and Spain (annually), contributing to 38% and 40% of waste respectively. This is likely to grow as new housing units in Madrid are expected to grow from 14,000 (per year) in 2025 to 40,000 by 2040. Currently, many of these materials retain value beyond their intended use. Constructed Commons explores the opportunities of bringing construction waste back to the private realm by developing domestic goods, from seating and lighting to daily goods such as incense holders.

What is Constructed Commons?

Constructed Commons is an open-design project for industrial and product design that focuses on material research, low-tech production, a research-oriented design methodology, and online knowledge sharing. Each object is produced using recycled building materials from Madrid as the primary material. All objects are manufactured using low-tech manufacturing techniques and tools, including screwdrivers and hand mixing. Freely accessible manuals and manufacturing documents for each object can be found on the Constructed Commons website, allowing others to reproduce, modify, refine, or sell the objects.

Constructed Commons Stool
Constructed Commons Stool
Thomas Jackman Kuwabara
Constructed Commons Incense Holder
Constructed Commons Incense Holder
Thomas Jackman Kuwabara
Constructed Commons Lighting Base
Constructed Commons Lighting Base
Thomas Jackman Kuwabara
Constructed Commons Stool Details
Constructed Commons Stool Details
Thomas Jackman Kuwabara

About Thomas Jackman Kuwabara

Thomas Jackman Kuwabara is a Canadian industrial & product designer who recently graduated with a Bachelor in Design at IE University in Madrid, Spain. His work ranges from furniture, lighting, and table games to more, with a particular interest in sustainable materials and craft. His work explores how objects can respond to their materiality through accessible and resource-conscious approaches to design.