When one analyzes Saṅkhāras, where does 'unconditioned' fit in?

When one analyzes Saṅkhāras, where does 'unconditioned' fit in? > The word means 'formations' or 'that which has been put together' > and 'that which puts together'. I take this to mean something about parts and wholes, as well as causation. But what about "the unconditioned": will it appear as cognitive residue or by-product of establishing every conditioned thing, or is it an object of cognition one gets to? Or what exactly?