Wasted x Van Alen

April 7, 2026 6:15 PM – 8:00 PM

Van Alen Institute

A modern, asymmetrical building made of corrugated metal and transparent roofing panels is depicted, surrounded by an open grassy area. In the background, tall apartment buildings are visible against a blue sky with wispy clouds. Electric wires stretch above the building, and a few trees and garden structures are situated nearby. A person can be seen in the foreground, tending to the garden.

Each year, Pratt hosts a public conversation about the status of waste in architecture. This year will focus on on the idea of reuse with a maximum economy of means. How can waste be re-thought as architecture with the very least amount of expenditure in terms of energy, labor, and capital? Is there even a zero-degree waste-to-architecture conversion, where the transition from one state to another is almost purely a mental reframing?