Research and Creative Work
In the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Colorado Denver, students and faculty engage directly with our vibrant city, dynamic community, and magnificent landscape by working on real projects that make a real difference.
Green Tech Drive-thru
Principal Researchers: Maslin Mellick & Olivia Collier
Faculty Advisor: Julee Herdt
Around 290 million tires are discarded in the U.S. every year; of these, only a fraction are recycled – a toxic process that causes health risks. Most discarded tires end up in landfills and take thousands of years to decompose due to their complex ingredients designed for durability. This project envisions a facility for removing, devulcanizing and repurposing the rubber from the world's largest discarded tire monofill (north of Denver) into a new building material.
