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Could layers of gravel, sand, and clay replace bricks?
CategoriesSustainable News

Could layers of gravel, sand, and clay replace bricks?

By Zarkon Group,
Could layers of gravel, sand, and clay replace bricks?

Spotted: On average, for every square metre of brick produced, it’s estimated that about 26 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide emissions are released. Once more, the firing of these bricks in kilns is one of the largest stationary sources of black carbon – a significant and dangerous contributor to air pollution. 

Due to their high carbon footprint, bricks are playing their own part in global warming and increased instances of extreme weather. Ironically, because such weather events can damage buildings, it means that even more bricks and other buildings materials need to be manufactured in carbon-intensive processes to make repairs. Hoping to provide a greener, more sustainable alternative is Aussie company Earthbuilt.

The new, carbon-friendly method of building houses, as well as the new materials Earthbuilt uses, aim to not only negate the majority of carbon emissions associated with bricks, but also introduce a more durable and stronger house. An Earthbuilt home is graded at the highest level of Australian fireproofing, meaning the technology can also be utilised in constructing miles of firebreaking. Additionally, the non-Newtonian fluid properties of Earthbuilt’s structures mean that the walls self-heal rather than crack under pressure, this also makes them earthquake resistant.

The technology relies on machines that lay the fill (including gravel, sand, and clay) over layer upon layer of Earthbuilt’s material – which resembles a roll of fabric, but is in reality a tensile membrane – until a wall is built up. This wall holds incredible strength due to the many layers that make it up, as well as holding great resistance to movement thanks to the material’s properties itself. This process is called terre armée, or reinforced Earth in English. Due to the process of constructing Earthbuilt walls being machine-led, there is a large reduction in labour costs, as well as in the material costs and overall carbon footprint.

Video source Earthbuilt

The company is just finishing its MVP prototype and is currently searching for investment and manufacturing partners. Next, the ambition is to look at other big polluters in construction and develop more sustainable solutions. 

Springwise has also spotted other innovations in building materials like these recycled plastic tiles that look like clay as well as these robots and AI that speed up homebuilding. 

Written By: Archie Cox

Reference

A compostable clay cup replaces single-use plastic
CategoriesSustainable News

A compostable clay cup replaces single-use plastic

By Zarkon Group,
A compostable clay cup replaces single-use plastic

Spotted: Every hour, people across Germany buy 320,000 hot drinks in single-use disposable cups. And although many manufacturers have been working to make their cups recyclable, the reality is that – in Germany and beyond – little single-use packaging actually gets recycled. German startup GaeaStar has come up with a novel approach to reducing the waste, having developed disposable cups made from clay.

GaeaStar has proposed to make its cups on a special 3D printer that can create a cup in 30 seconds or less. The company plans to use a micro-factory model, establishing cup-printing centres near customers and sourcing clay locally. GaeaStar even foresees restaurants and takeaway spots having their own tabletop printers, and the cups be easily etched with a corporate logo as part of the printing process.

The cups can be washed and reused as many times as customers want and when it’s time for disposal, the cup can simply be smashed or used as a plant pot. While many clay pots can take thousands of years to decompose, the GaeaStar cup is thin and made of unglazed and unfired clay, which means it will decompose fairly rapidly.

GaeaStar recently completed a $6.5 million (around €5.9 million) seed round from investors including Morningside and Dart Labs. This is on top of an earlier $1.7 million (around €1.6 million) pre-seed round. The funds will go, in part, towards introducing the clay cups into the US in a trial with the Verve coffee chain in California, and conducting a complete life-cycle analysis of the environmental cost of the clay cups.

3D printing is rapidly becoming an important tool in developing more sustainable products. In addition to printed reusable cups, Springwise has also spotted the technology used for the manufacture of biodegradable glass and to produce fully-recyclable, custom footwear.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

Reference

Copenhagen store features minimalist interiors by Snøhetta
CategoriesInterior Design

Snøhetta combines clay and oak for minimalist interior of Holzweiler store

By Zarkon Group,
Copenhagen store features minimalist interiors by Snøhetta

Architecture practice Snøhetta stuck to natural materials for the fit-out of the Holzweiler boutique in Copenhagen, incorporating subtle references to the fashion brand’s Norwegian heritage.

Snøhetta is a long-term collaborator of Holzweiler‘s, having designed the company’s flagship store and showroom in Oslo, as well as a number of its pop-up shops, runway sets and its digital identity.

Copenhagen store features minimalist interiors by Snøhetta
Snøhetta has designed Holzweiler’s Copenhagen outpost

For Holzweiler’s first international outpost in Copenhagen, Snøhetta followed the concept of “tracing” – devising an interior scheme that shows traces of the brand’s Norwegian roots alongside the minimalist aesthetic found in its previous retail spaces.

“Reminiscent of a memory or feeling that remains, the idea of ‘traces’ evokes an emotional sense of the brand’s beloved heritage as it travels to a new city,” the practice said.

Holzweiler's Copenhagen store features minimalist interiors by Snøhetta
A clay sculpture by Ingeborg Riseng sits at the heart of the store

At the centre of the 100-square-metre store is a tall, hollow sculpture by Norwegian artist Ingeborg Riseng, which shoppers can step into. Its undulating outer walls are fitted with display shelves and coated in a smooth layer of clay, while the inside has a rough, craggy surface.

An oakwood display plinth winds its way around the periphery of the store, eventually connecting to a curved timber partition at the rear of the floor plan.

Copenhagen store features minimalist interiors by Snøhetta
Around the edge of the store is an oak display plinth

Behind the wall lies a changing area with cubicles and curtains created by Danish textile design studio Tronhjem Rømer.

The fabric is digitally printed with subtle yellow and pale blue stripes, designed to evoke the shifting shades of the Norwegian sky.

To contrast the store’s largely natural material palette, Snøhetta added some industrial-style finishing touches like metal clothing rails and custom strip lighting, developed by Swedish brand Ateljé Lyktan.

Both the floors and ceilings were preserved from the store’s previous fit-out.

Holzweiler's Copenhagen store features minimalist interiors by Snøhetta
Garments hang from steel rails

Other recent projects by Snøhetta include Bolder Star Lodges, a quartet of wooden cabins that overlook a fjord in Norway.

Meanwhile in Denmark, the practice employed boat construction techniques to create a timber community centre in Esbjerg.

The photography is by Magnus Nordstrand, courtesy of Snøhetta and Holzweiler.

Reference

Ten calm interiors with natural clay wall finishes that don't need painting
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten calm interiors with natural clay wall finishes that don’t need painting

By Zarkon Group,
Ten calm interiors with natural clay wall finishes that don't need painting

In this special lookbook sponsored by natural finishes brand Clayworks, we’ve selected 10 interiors from our archives that feature walls finished with the brand’s clay plaster.


Clay finishes are a healthy, breathable alternative to paints or wallpaper on internal walls and ceilings. Naturally pigmented and free of toxic ingredients, they are made of natural materials, do not require painting and are compostable.

Clayworks‘ plaster finishes are manufactured in Cornwall, England. Here are 10 homes, restaurants and offices that showcase their products.

Porteous’ Studio, Edinburgh, by Izat Arundell

Design studio Izat Arundell converted this former blacksmith’s workshop in Edinburgh into a compact apartment with a muted material palette.

Clay-based plaster was applied to the walls to create a calm tone, with a simple palette of stone and wood used to create an overall natural feel.

Find out more about Porteous’ Studio ›

Birch and Clay Refugio, London, by Rise Design Studio

As its name suggests, this renovated and extended London flat called Birch and Clay Refugio makes extensive use of clay finishes.

The kitchen features light grey plaster walls, while a calming light grey-green shade was used for the master bedroom and a light pastel pink in the children’s bedroom.

Find out more about Birch and Clay Refugio ›

Sticks n Sushi, London, by Norm Architects

This London sushi restaurant by Danish studio Norm Architects was designed to have a series of spaces each with its own atmosphere.

Light clay finishes were used in the larger, more open restaurant spaces, with darker tones applied to create a more intimate feel in the private dining areas.

Find out more about Sticks n Sushi ›

Clay walls in Devon Passivhaus

Devon Passivhaus, Devon, McLean Quinlan

This low-rise Passivhaus home by McLean Quinlan is set behind a red-brick wall that obscures the textured interiors and art-filled hidden courtyard.

The studio aimed to create a “serene” environment inside the home by pairing rough sawn oak flooring with clay plaster walls and charred wood cabinetry.

Find out more about Devon Passivhaus ›

Dulong store, Copenhagen, by Norm Architects

Norm Architects combined natural materials to create a calm finish for this jewellery showroom in Copenhagen, which was informed by modernist artists’ studios.

The studio used a light clay plaster with a smooth finish as the backdrop for the store that has oak flooring and travertine furniture.

Find out more about Dulong store ›

Barbican apartment, London, by Takero Shimazaki Architects

Takero Shimazaki Architects was informed by a client with strong ties with Japan for the interiors of this apartment in central London’s Barbican estate.

Throughout the flat, the studio aimed to balance Japanese architectural language with the concrete structure of the brutalist Barbican complex. Walls finished with clay were combined with tatami mats and numerous timber finishes.

Find out more about Barbican apartment ›

Hoof cafe, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, by Bone

Design studio Bone used rustic clay plaster for the walls of this cafe in the United Arab Emirates as part of its design that aims to recall horse stalls.

Named Hoof, the spartan cafe was furnished with blocky hand-brushed steel counters to contrast the naturally finished walls.

Find out more about Hoof cafe ›

Clay wall in bathroom

Highgate home, London, by House of Grey

Interiors studio House of Grey chose the furnishings and finishes of this London home with the health of its occupants and the health of the planet in mind.

Along with custom-designed timber furniture and a bed upholstered using coconut husk fibres, the home’s walls are finished with natural clay.

Find out more about Highgate house ›

Leaf House, London, by Szczepaniak Astridge

Designed to be a peaceful retreat in south London, this loft extension contains a master bedroom focused on a wooden bath with views across London.

Japanese interior design, as well as sustainability, was important for the choice of materials used in the loft, which has clay covering its roof and walls.

Find out more about Leaf House ›

Clay House, London, by Simon Astridge 

Architect Simon Astridge uses layers of coarse clay to line the walls of this one-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a Victorian mid-terraced property in London.

Appropriately named Clay House, the material was used to give an unfinished appearance to the walls and ceilings of the open plan living space and create a calm atmosphere in the bedroom.

Find out more about Clay House ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing green kitchen interiors, peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

This lookbook was produced by Dezeen for Clayworks as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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