How Gen Z Designers Are Smashing Conventions With “Creative Self-Exploration”
CategoriesArchitecture

How Gen Z Designers Are Smashing Conventions With “Creative Self-Exploration”

The next report in Material ConneXion’s insightful series on material trends focuses on the ultra-contemporary phenomena of expressionism among new generations of creators. Following on from their Eunomia report — which revealed insights into designers’ renewed passion for nature as a primary source of inspiration —  their next release is entitled “Creative Self-Exploration”, and covers the rising trend for fluidity and dynamism with regards to everything from identity and aesthetics to occupation and innovation.

Learn More and Access the Full Report

Illustrated with vibrant examples of creative individualism, the new trends “reflect  a  growing  aspiration,  especially  among GEN Z and Alpha, to explore all the components that make up ‘the self’, from physical appearance to existential depth and emotions, overlooking established norms.” They also point towards a new wave of entrepreneurship, with young people breaking free from conventional occupations. Instead, they are harnessing the maturing landscape of social media to create their own opportunities, as well as emerging realms such as the metaverse.

Tiktok Headquarters by Gensler, 9th Annual A+Awards Finalist in the Large Office Interiors category.

In terms of architecture and design, these trends are manifested in avant-garde projects that challenge traditional ideas pertaining to the function, program and typology of buildings. One example is the “Tiktok Beauty Hub”. As described in the report, “Tiktokers now have a creative hub in the heart of LA, hosted by Fenty Beauty, Rhianna’s brand. The concept behind this collaborative space is to help influencers on the platform by offering a fully stocked ‘Make-up Pantry’ in a camera-ready,  creative space as well as community building amongst participants.”

One of a number of innovation concepts in the report is named “Phygital Experiences”, highlighting new investments in “marvelous, magical worlds and bewitching inspirations that boost the imagination” and “immersive and multisensorial experiences that create the sensation of lucid dreaming.” This form of design, with its emphasis on interactivity, engagement and dynamic mediums is undoubtedly permeating architecture and design — one such example is the work of Turkish digital artist, Refik Anadol, whose installation “Quantum Memories” was a recent A+Awards Finalist in the Architecture +New Technology category.

Quantum Memories by Refik Anadol, 9th Annual A+Awards Finalist in the Architecture +New Technology category.

In the report’s ‘Design Ideations’ section, a series of multichromatic mood boards visualizes how the rise of creative self-exploration can be translated into real-world spaces, textures, materials, products and beyond. The bold range of colors, forms and finishes on display encapsulates the overriding takeaway from this report — that emerging creatives are not concerned in the slightest with the social or aesthetic “rules” of prior generations. In fact, they embrace the unconventional, and revel in its unlimited creative potential.

To see the full trend report and receive new material insights each month, become a member of Material ConneXion. Learn more >

Top image: 100 colors no.35 by emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design, 9th Annual A+Awards Finalist in the Architecture +Color category.

Reference

Semba Good Ethical Office interior
CategoriesInterior Design

Semba Corporation creates own office interior from reclaimed materials

Interior construction firm Semba Corporation has renovated the interior of its headquarters in Tokyo to include reclaimed materials discarded during the demolition of other offices.

The company’s redesign of its own office interior is shortlisted in the sustainable interior category for the upcoming Dezeen Awards, which will announce its winners next month.

Semba Good Ethical Office interior
The interior is made from materials salvaged from demolished offices

Called Semba Good Ethical Office, the project features various pared-back tables, seating and shelving created from materials salvaged from previous office demolitions.

This furniture is positioned across a single open-plan space in Japan’s capital, which is brightly illuminated by overhead lighting and rectilinear windows.

Reclaimed wooden structure
Plinth-like seating and stairs forms a centrepiece

A plinth-like centrepiece takes the form of both a staircase and a designated desk area, which was formed from boxy arrangements of surplus wood and old filing cabinets.

Semba Corporation centred the interiors around two principles – “ethical” and “hackable” design – in order to complete the project, the company said.

Semba Corporation office
Semba Corporation applied its own design principles to the project

“To incorporate ‘ethical design’, a circular interior design [theory], into the office renovation, we mined materials from unnecessary stuff generated by office demolitions,” Semba Corporation told Dezeen.

“Under the theme of ‘hackable design’, we can redefine our working style and attitudes. We completely renovated our office to be friendly to the Earth, people and society,” explained the firm.

Reconstituted foam padding by Semba Corporation
Reconstituted foam was used to create padding on benches

According to the company, 80 per cent of the furniture in the Semba Good Ethical Office is reused, while the office achieved a waste-recycling rate of 99 per cent.

Reconstituted foam was used to create the padding on benches that make up informal meeting booths, while various offcuts of wood were used to construct geometric shelves throughout the interior.

Semba Corporation explained that it hopes that other firms will begin to adopt similar design principles when creating their office interiors.

“Especially in Japan, the lifespan from construction to demolition and disposal has become very short since [increasing] economic growth, and waste has been dumped in landfill,” the firm said.

“However, Japanese culture has originally valued attachment to things and has an aesthetic sense to continue to use them with creative ideas. So I think our principles have an affinity to that culture.”

“We hope that ‘ethical design,’ a future-friendly interior design, will be a basic principle in interior design for the future.”

Wooden shelving
Reclaimed wood was used to form various shelving

Semba Good Ethical Office joins a group of existing self-designed studios that other firms have created to be more sustainable than the average office, according to the companies.

These include German studio Urselmann Interior’s renovation of its studio to include biodegradable, recycled or upcycled materials.

The images are courtesy of Semba Corporation.

Reference

Villa FZ: The Extraordinary Materials Behind Italy’s Most Beautiful New Residence
CategoriesArchitecture

Villa FZ: The Extraordinary Materials Behind Italy’s Most Beautiful New Residence

Tucked away in the province of Ferrara lies a private residence designed, built and decorated by a collaborative team of architects and stoneware experts. The visionary Sergio Bizzarro, Principal of Studio Bizzarro & Partners, worked with architect Simone Savio to realize the design. Meanwhile, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica were brought in to decorate the home’s interior and exterior with high-performing and aesthetically-pronounced Italian stoneware. This project is a true celebration of Italian architecture, craft and culture.  

Villa FZ sits on a small plot of land in a relatively built-up neighborhood. Due to its location,  ensuring privacy was at the forefront of the design. At the same time, the design team was cognizant of creating an open, breathable space connected to the outdoors. In order to accommodate the need for both privacy and breathability, the design team settled on the concept of an inverted structure.

Rather than opening to the outside, the home is oriented inwards. Large French windows overlook an enclosed patio and swimming area and work to connect the interior to a private, outdoor living space. The site’s perimeter was heavily landscaped to further enclose the space, maximize privacy and create a green oasis. The result is a clean, contemporary design that promotes relaxation and comfortable living.

Completing the space with durable and quality materials was of importance to the design team, along with maintaining a cohesive visual language. In order to do so, FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti’s MaxFine collection was chosen to finish the villa. MaxFine is revered for its ability to blur the lines between surface and furniture and was the perfect fit for this house. Several slabs from the collection were used throughout the home, adding textural and visual depth to the interior space.

The dwelling’s entrance consists of a small externally-covered atrium leading to the front door. The property’s atrium was covered in FMG’s Marmi MaxFine slabs in the color Statuario Light. These slabs have a crisp off-white, marble-esque quality which contrasts the dark-colored door and simultaneously blends with the external façade.

The home’s muted palette consists of shades of gray, black and white. To enhance the visual language, stoneware with decorative qualities was chosen. FMG’s MaxFine slabs in the color Black Marquinia, were used to create an accent wall that runs from the first floor to the second.

Finished in a Silky texture, this wall stands pronounced within the home, with its rich dark hue and contrasting white veiny lines. This striking backdrop serves as a focal point of the home and can be appreciated in many spots due to the interior’s relatively open plan. The stoneware’s veiny appearance provides a sense of tactility and movement against the muted interior design while still maintaining visual continuity.

To complete the floors, a stone effect was chosen to ensure it could withstand foot traffic and maintain visual continuity with the rest of the space. FMG’s Pietre MaxFine slabs in the color Lavica Grey cover the interior floors and fit seamlessly with the home’s aesthetic. This stoneware is built to last and is resistant to chemicals, which makes for an easy-to-clean surface.

To complement the charming interior space, Iris Ceramica’s Pietra di Basalto panels in the color Grigio were chosen to pave the exterior patio. The Pietra di Basalto stoneware has a slipperiness coefficient of R11, which ensures a high grip and safe walkway and is ideal for spaces with a pool. Moreover, both the interior and exterior floors are UV-resistant which helps maintain the stoneware’s rich color over time. The color gray was chosen for both the interior and exterior flooring and works to create a cohesive visual language throughout the entire property.

All the stoneware chosen to complete this seaside oasis boast high technical performance and pronounced aesthetics. It was important to the design team to choose durable and practicable stoneware, and both FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica’s products deliver just that. Both the MaxFine and Pietra di Basalto collections demonstrate that quality stoneware can serve two purposes, both functional and decorative. Villa FZ truly exemplifies that when thoughtful architecture and superior quality stoneware merge, the result is an unparalleled living experience.

To learn more about the remarkable materials used throughout the project, visit the websites of FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti and Iris Ceramica.

Reference

Brilliant Bio-Based Materials Curated for Commercial Interiors
CategoriesArchitecture

Brilliant Bio-Based Materials Curated for Commercial Interiors

Our esteemed jury is now reviewing the submissions for this year’s A+Product Awards. Stay tuned for the winner’s announcement later this summer.

We are often introduced to biomaterials regarding their application to support medical advancements. A massive amount of research is being conducted globally, with innovations being announced all the time. You’ve probably heard the word bouncing around the design industry too. However, crucially it must be understood that the two subjects, although identical in name, as products are wildly different. In medical terms, biomaterial refers to a substance engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose (like a heart valve or bone graft). In the design industry, when we discuss biomaterials, we are actually talking about bio-based materials, which are derived and manufactured from living organisms.

Bio-based material is a new and fascinating industry that has come to fruition due to the need for more sustainable construction and manufacturing base materials. Across the world, the quantity of furniture, fabrics and materials that end up in landfill is staggering and arriving there at a rate that cannot be sustained. As a reaction to this, many designers are seeking inspiration from nature and natural life cycles.

Forager Foam by Ecovative Images provided by Ecovative

Forager Leather by Ecovative Image by Vasil Hnatiuk

One such company is Ecovative. Ecovative are experts in something called mycelium. Mycelium is an essential part of fungi. It is a web-like substance formed from the pores of fungi. Often residing beneath ground, the probing webs assist in growing the mushrooms we see above ground while interconnecting the fungi from below. The mycelium search for food, passing on nutrients and other information to the fleshy mushrooms above ground. At Ecovative, they have learned how to guide the growth process of the mycelium to create large webs that are almost completely solid. The result is a wide range of natural, biodegradable materials that form textiles, packaging, and even alternative food products.

As a material, mycelium is incredibly resilient, with many other valuable qualities. By studying the growth of mycelium, scientists at Forager Ecovative have drawn out the most useful traits such as tensile strength, waterproofing, fire resistance, pliability and texture. They are producing foams and leather alternatives that rival any on the market. Mycelium hides and foams offer many advantages over traditional leather and plastic materials. Vivid colors and durable, supple textures are possible without the need for caustic chemicals or waste.

Finishing can be achieved with heat, pressure, and bio-based chemicals rather than petroleum-derived coatings, with a wider variety than traditional leather, minus the variability and blemishes that impact price. The foams produced by Ecovative rival any plastic-based alternative in performance and are unmatched in their circularity — mycelium, when thrown away at the end of a product’s life, returns to the earth as a nutrient rather than a pollutant.

Mogu, Mycelium Resilient Floors ©mogu

Mogu, Floor Flex ©mogu

Also working tirelessly with mycelium’s exceptional properties and potential are the team at MOGU. Offering functional, beautiful and meaningful products with a durable and sustainable life cycle, MOGU is committed to introducing the world to industrial processes with the lowest possible environmental impact.

“MOGU was founded on the belief that it is possible to employ nature’s intelligence to radically disrupt the design of everyday product, seeking a finer balance between the man-made and the rhythms of the ecosystem.”

MOGU’s floor finishes are genuinely remarkable. The floor finishes are made of solid and stable mycelium-based core boards coupled with high-performance bio-based coating. Each tile or roll integrates low-value biomasses such as corn crops, rice straw, spent coffee grounds, discarded seaweed and clam shells as an alternative to traditional industrial pigments. This choice in toning allows the natural pigments embedded in the product to appear visibly on the surface, creating a unique look to the materials that is elegant, on-trend and subtle.

That’s Caffeine by Atticus Durnell

Handmade in London by Atticus Durnell, That’s Caffeine is a unique bio-based material created from recycled coffee grounds that feels and looks like granite stone. The bio-based material is a composite of bio binders, minerals and plant-based resin, making it incredibly lightweight compared to its peers. The material is sustainable and biodegradable, water and heat-resistant, and successfully diverts coffee waste from landfills while enabling its distinctive surface finishes and colors.

Totomoxle by Fernando Laposse Images by Fernando Laposse

Bio-based materials do not need to be grown into something, as is the case for mycelium-based products. Mexico-based innovator Fernando Laposse has shown how waste material from our other consumables can also be utilized in making new, beautiful materials.

Totomoxtle is a new veneer material made with husks of heirloom Mexican corn. Ranging from deep purples to soft creams, Totomoxtle showcases the wealth of diversity of the native corns of Mexico.

Unfortunately, the number of native varieties of Mexican corn are in sharp decline. International trade agreements, aggressive use of herbicides and pesticides, and the influx of highly modified foreign seeds have decimated the practice. At the moment, the only hope for saving the heirloom species of maize lies with the indigenous people who continue to plant them out of tradition rather than for financial gain.

Laposse has been working with a group of families from the community of Tonahuixtla, slowly reintroducing native seeds in the village and returning to traditional agriculture. The husks collected from the harvest are now transformed by a group of local women into the veneering material, thus creating much-needed local employment and beautiful saleable materials that are forgiving to the environment.

Brusseleir, Clay Plaster by BC Materials Image by BC Materials

BC Materials work on several bio-based products made for the construction industry from the construction industry’s waste. Using material taken from the ground during excavation, the Brussels-based company has created Brusseleir. This clay plaster alternative regulates the humidity of indoor climates and is also wholly vapor permeable all the while, the plaster alternative is four times more acoustically effective than traditional plaster finishes.

From an environmental perspective, biomaterials are a compelling choice: They are biodegradable and store carbon dioxide, which means they can lower the carbon footprint of a product or a building during its lifetime. These materials can often perform just as well, sometimes better, than less sustainable alternatives. We have barely scratched the surface of the potential of bio-based materials and are in no position to propose bio-based materials everywhere just yet. However, there is an argument that says that is precisely what we should be striving for.

Consider this, across all industries, consumers have changed; buyers no longer need items that last a lifetime, typically trends drive sales, and the majority of people want their surroundings to evolve as they do. In such a society, products manufactured from bio-based materials have a stronger appeal than ever. As their usefulness is met, items can be discarded without concern. Each piece naturally breaks down and returns to the earth while leaving space for something new. No need for landfill, no need for chemicals to break things down, just a product from the earth, going right back into the earth — like a leaf working its way through the seasons year after year. That is the future of bio-based materials; hopefully, with suitable investments, it’s not too far off.

Our esteemed jury is now reviewing the submissions for this year’s A+Product Awards. Stay tuned for the winner’s announcement later this summer.

Reference

Urselmann Interior office
CategoriesSustainable News

Urselmann Interior renovates own office using recycled materials

Düsseldorf studio Urselmann Interior has renovated its own office interiors using biodegradable, recycled or upcycled materials, including glueless joinery and a cellulose-based wall cladding.

The interior design studio said that it renovated its self-described “circular” office in the German city to only feature materials that are either recycled, upcycled or biodegradable.

Urselmann Interior office
Urselmann Interior’s office is in Düsseldorf

These include existing wooden and terrazzo flooring that was salvaged during the renovation, as well as heaters obtained from resource-efficient building material platform Concular.

Spread over one main workspace, a kitchen and a meeting room, the single-level office features clay paint walls and is designed to be used as both a co-working space and a showroom.

Kitchen in office
The renovation includes a kitchen

“The office also serves us as a laboratory in that we can [use it to] test new qualities, materials and construction methods,” project manager Liz Theißen told Dezeen.

A solid wooden frame was used to create simple kitchen cabinets, which were constructed without glue so that the structure is fully demountable.

Urselmann Interior kitchen
Joinery was created without glue in much of the project

The frame was fitted with panels formed from recycled strips of fabric supplied by textile brand Kvadrat from its Really collection.

For its walls, the studio used Honext wall cladding – a cellulose-based material that is produced using paper sludge and cardboard waste.

Poplar wood from a tree felled in the nearby city of Krefeld was chosen for the ceiling, which was also assembled without glue.

Throughout the office, neutral and minimal colour and material palettes were applied to the interior design, which also includes clusters of carefully arranged potted plants and books.

Second-hand lighting encased in wiggly orange felt from Hey-Sign adds a splash of colour to the otherwise sandy-hued atmosphere.

Orange lighting in office
Wiggly orange lighting adds a splash of colour

Theißen explained that all of the components that Urselmann Interior used for the renovation have been listed in a published “material passport” that can be referred to for future projects.

“We want to develop a new design language for ourselves, in which we smartly combine high-quality materials such as solid wood with ecological building materials as well as reusable components [to achieve] a positive footprint in the construction industry,” she said.

“Our design principles follow the school of thought of ‘cradle to cradle’, which is the safe and potentially infinite circulation of materials and nutrients in cycles.”

“All constituents are chemically harmless and recyclable. We aim to eliminate the design flaw of waste in our processes,” concluded Theißen.

Honext panels
Honext panels line the clay paint walls

Urselmann Interior is a Düsseldorf-based interiors studio founded by Sven Urselmann.

Similar projects to the studio’s office renovation include a Madrid restaurant by Lucas Muñoz with furniture formed from site construction waste and a bar made out of recycled stereos, bottle crates and fridges by Michael Marriott.

The photography is by Magdalena Gruber


Project credits:

Design and build: Urselmann Interior
Founder and designer: Sven Urselmann
Designer: Petra Jablonická
Project manager: Liz Theißen

Reference

Three wooden Fels stolls by OUT around a wooden table
CategoriesSustainable News

Ten furniture designs made from sustainable materials

Dezeen Showroom: a stool made from wood sourced through sustainable forestry and a 3D-printed chair made from recycled fishing nets are among the latest furniture designs on Dezeen Showroom that use sustainable materials.

Designers and brands are continually improving the sustainability of their designs in an attempt to lessen the negative impact on the environment, from the production and manufacturing stages to the longevity and lifecycle of the final product.

Included in this selection are products designed to follow circular economy principles, where parts can be replaced, repaired and recycled to increase the lifespan of the materials.

Also featured are furniture pieces made from recycled materials, including PET plastic bottles, cardboard and coffee waste.

From tables made from washed up sea plants to chairs with castor oil-based bioplastic seats, here’s a selection of the latest furniture designs made from sustainable materials on Dezeen Showroom.


Three wooden Fels stolls by OUT around a wooden table

Fels stool by OUT

Fels is a sculptural stool created by Berlin-based brand OUT, which is made from wood obtained through sustainable forestry.

The materials are forested in Germany and Austria at a rate that maintains the environment’s biodiversity and productivity, then handcrafted into Fels stools in Germany.

Available in a natural wood finish or in a range of bright colours, Fels has a jagged profile designed to give the appearance of carved stone.

Find out more about Fels ›


Kelp Collection chair by Interesting Times Gang

Kelp Collection chair by Interesting Times Gang

The Kelp Collection chair by Swedish studio Interesting Times Gang is made from recycled fishing nets, which gives it a bright green colour.

The fishing nets are combined with recycled FSC-certified wood fibres to create the furniture’s bio-composite material, which is 3D printed to create the chair’s curving form.

Interesting Times Gang designed the chair to bring awareness to the eradication of kelp forests due to unsustainable fishing practices and rising sea temperatures.

Find out more about Kelp Collection ›


Two black Fluit chairs by Actiu next to a table, plant and lamp

Fluit chair by Archirivolto Design for Actiu

Created by Italian studio Archirivolto Design in collaboration with furniture brand Actiu, Fluit is a lightweight chair designed for both indoor and outdoor settings.

Around 80 per cent of the chair’s material is polypropylene plastic recycled from the agricultural food sector, while the remaining 20 per cent is recycled fibreglass which increases its strength.

Find out more about Fluit ›


Flek Pure by 3form used as a partition wall with chairs behind

Flek Pure by 3form is a completely recycled architectural material

Flek Pure is a recycled material created by architectural material manufacturer 3form to resemble terrazzo.

The material is made from 100 per cent recycled materials sourced from 3form’s in-house factory waste. The terrazzo look comes from pelletised trimmings of the brand’s resin products.

Available in a range of translucent colours, Flek Pure can be used to produce privacy partitions, room dividers, accent pieces and exterior walls.

Find out more about Flek Pure ›


Brown Bowl table by Mater with a plant on top

Bowl table by Ayush Kasliwal for Mater

Danish furniture brand Mater has released Bowl, a table made from the brand’s Mater Circular Material which combines fibrous industrial waste with recycled plastic.

Mater developed the composite material with the aim of progressing their existing furniture collection from being sustainable to circular.

Bowl is available in two versions – one made from coffee shell waste and the other from sawdust. Plastic waste from bathroom fittings brand Grohe is recycled and acts as a binder.

Find out more about Bowl ›


White and purple Chatpod 700 by Impact Acoustics with seating inside

Chatpod 700 by Jeffrey Ibañez for Impact Acoustic

Made from recycled materials, Impact Acoustic created the Chatpod 700 booth to provide a quiet meeting space for up to four people.

The booth’s structure is made from recycled cardboard and pressed sawdust. Recycled PET bottles are used to create the acoustic cladding and the felt-like interior finish.

Find out more about Chatpod 700 ›


Birch and black LoopKitchen by Stykka in a concrete room

LoopKitchen by Stykka

LoopKitchen by Danish startup Stykka is a kitchen with a circular design intended to increase its lifecycle.

The kitchen is made from replaceable birch plywood parts with optional Forbo linoleum fronts available in over 20 colours.

Users can replace parts of the kitchen as they get worn, broken or if they would like a new colour. Stykka then reuses or recycles the used parts.

Find out more about LoopKitchen ›


Two Dina chairs by Beit Collective with yellow and blue woven seats and backrests

Dina chair by Adam Nathaniel Furman for Beit Collective

Adam Nathanial Furman has designed the Dina chair for Beit Collective, a colourful interpretation of traditional Lebanese “Khayzaran” chairs.

Instead of the traditional use of cane, Dina’s woven seat and backrest are made from durable castor oil-based bioplastic.

Find out more about Dina ›


Round Oceanides table by Alex Mint in a grassy wetland

Oceanides table collection by Alexia Mintsouli for Alex Mint

Oceanides is a collection of tables made from marble and the sea plant Posidonia Oceanica, designed by Alexia Mintsouli for UK studio Alex Mint.

By upcycling Posidonia Oceanica leaves that are washed up on the shore into tabletops, Alex Mint aimed to create a more eco-friendly furniture piece.

Find out more about Oceanides ›


Black and natural wood Cross Bar chairs by Takt at a high table

Cross Bar chair by Pearson Lloyd for Takt

Design studio Pearson Lloyd created the Cross Bar chair for Takt with replaceable elements that can be repaired or recycled, extending the chair’s lifecycle.

The chair is available in three finishes of oak and can be optionally upholstered in a choice of eco-labelled textiles.

Find out more about Cross Bar ›

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Reference

Two stools and a table made from waste materials
CategoriesSustainable News

Louise Hederström designs furniture from building waste materials

Swedish designer Louise Hederström has worked with furniture brand Swedese to use leftover wood and plywood from a Cobe-designed building to create furniture for its public spaces.

Hederström‘s project Rephrased Matter, which was on show as part of the annual design festival Southern Sweden Design Days, saw the designer work together with Swedese to create a collection of furniture for the atrium, restaurant and meeting rooms in developer Skanska‘s Hyllie Terrass building.

Two stools and a table made from waste materials
Above: Louise Hederström’s designs were on show at Southern Sweden Design Days. Top image: a prototype of her stool for Skanska. Photo is courtesy of Hederström

The furniture will be made from materials such as plywood and wooden beams that were used during the construction of the building, which was designed by Danish studio Cobe, and would otherwise have been burned.

Hederström, who approached Skanska together with Linus Davidsson, sales representative at Swedese, said they will instead use the waste material from the building site for both “big and small projects.”

Materials used for furniture designs by Louise Hederström
Waste materials and leftover materials were used to construct the furniture. Photo is courtesy of Louise Hederström

The first item is set of stools and a table that will be used in the building’s atrium. They were made from wooden latches and plywood used on the site to cover elevator shafts and as temporary staircase banisters.

“We don’t really know yet, but that’s also the part of the process – we see something, we save it and we and the latches was really something that was easy to see that this is possible to work with,” Hederström told Dezeen.

Stool on show at Southern Sweden Design Days
Hederström worked together with furniture company Swedese

The time-consuming process of designing furniture from scrap materials requires a lot more preparation than working with virgin wood does.

“You have to have time to collect the material, you have to store it and dry it,” Hederström explained. “It’s a longer process, and we’re learning by doing.”

For the stools Hederström combined waste wood with leftover materials from Swedese, as the padding and fabric material needed was not available from the building site itself.

Instead, the stools have a filling made from leftover sheepskin from Swedese’s production, covered by leather seats that are made from leather with minor imperfections that meant the company was unable to use them for other furniture.

A steel ring used in Swedese’s furniture production and made from 80 per cent recycled metal holds the stool’s wooden legs together.

Table made from leftover wood
A table made from wood matches the stools

The current collection also includes a table made from the same wood and plywood pieces, and Hederström also plans to use the wooden latches to create a long sofa that will sit in the central atrium.

For her, having to use already-cut wood and other materials in existing conditions was a welcome challenge, rather than a disadvantage.

“I like the challenge that you have a material to have to work with,” she said.

“So with the stool, I wanted to change the dimensions of course, but I wanted you to still feel the connection to the material and understand its construction, how it holds together.”

Hederström will also use wood from elm trees that have had to be felled because of Dutch Elm disease, while leftover materials from Swedish furniture and design companies will be used to create accessories for the interior of the building.

Materials used for accessories in Hyllie Terrass
Other leftover materials will be used to create accessories

Hederström hopes that the initiative, which Skanska said it hopes to also expand to other buildings, will become more commonly used when constructing new buildings.

“I hoped that it would open their eyes, but also, I think that when they count and see ‘we have 1,000 metres of wood that we just throw away’ they can also say ‘let’s save it for next building’,” Hederström said.

“They can rethink their way of planning. And I think it was an eye-opener, that they realise that this is something that we could use. Especially when the world is a bit upside down, we have to take better care of material resources.”

Hyllie Terrass, the building that the furniture will be used in, was designed by Cobe for Skanska and is part of a pilot program for NollC02 buildings, which Skanska says will have net-zero emissions over their entire life cycle. It will be ready for occupation in spring 2023.

Hederström has previously made a concrete bench and traffic barrier using waste, while Swedese recently worked with graduate Mika Lindblad on a furniture collection designed without upholstery.

The photography is by Daniel Engvall unless otherwise stated.

Southern Sweden Design Days took place from 19 to 22 May 2022 in Malmö, Sweden. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

Reference

Architecture Mood Board: Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion
CategoriesArchitecture

Architecture Mood Board: Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion

There are few buildings in the world with a more distinctive aesthetic than the Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Riech. Originally constructed as the German Pavilion for the Barcelona International Exhibition in 1929, and rebuilt in 1986, this iconic building bears all the characteristics of the Modernist principles that Mies is famed for. The pavilion’s emphatic horizontality, open-plan layout and minimalist detailing are renowned, but the project’s use of materials are arguably its most defining quality.

Sumptuous yet cool, rich yet understated, the pavilion’s material palette celebrates the art of contrast. Monumental slabs of marble work in harmony with slender glass partitions and reflecting pools to create a serene space, worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby city.

Here, we take a closer look at some of those iconic materials, revealing the ingredients behind one of the purest manifestations of Modernist architecture. To the right of each image, you can find a selection of samples inspired by each material — visit Material Bank to start curating your own board.


Travertine (floor and exterior walls)

Left: The Barcelona Pavilion; image by Wojtek Gurak. Right: Materials inspired by the pavilion’s travertine surfaces; samples via Material Bank

The most prominent material used throughout the Pavilion is Roman travertine, a luxurious yet hard-wearing material that anchors the projects. Travertine forms the plinth upon which the building sits, as well as the surrounding walls, which enclose the reflecting pool and provide a sense of separation from the outside world. Its color, a soft, yellowish hue, acts as a perfect backdrop for the bold materials placed throughout the building.

Featured Material Samples


Golden Onyx (interior freestanding wall)

Left: Barcelona Pavilion interior; image by Martin D. Right: Materials inspired by the pavilion’s onyx wall; samples via Material Bank

At the heart of the building is a freestanding wall of golden onyx, sourced from the Atlas Mountains in Northern Africa. The uniquely patterned surface of this slab was revealed by a splitting process called broaching, enabling a symmetrical marbled pattern to be displayed across the wall’s entire expanse. In terms of color, amber hues transition into oranges and deep reds, providing a rich and complex finish that forms a focal point within the building’s interior. Interestingly, Carsten Krohn, author of Mies Van Der Rohe: The Built Work, states that “the honey-yellow onyx wall of the original is much redder in the modern reconstruction.”

Featured Material Samples


Green Marble (walls)

Left: Barcelona Pavilion exterior; image by Steven Zucker. Right: Materials inspired by the pavilion’s green marble walls; samples via Material Bank

Two types of marble with a green hue can be found in the Barcelona Pavilion: Polished green Tinian marble and “vert antique” marble, quarried in the French Alps. The hues of these walls range from deep green to gray-blue, contrasting with the lighter shades of travertine below and the pure white plane of the ceiling above.

Featured Material Samples


Glass (walls)

Left: Barcelona Pavilion glazing; image by Kent Wang. Right: Materials inspired by the pavilion’s glazing; samples via Material Bank

Mies employed a variety of glass materials throughout the pavilion, controlling the level of transparency, varying the sense of enclosure and framing specific views. According to Krohn, “an entire repertoire of materials have been employed: in addition to transparent glass, the building makes use of green and gray glass, frosted glass as well as black opaque glass for the table tops.” Together with the marble partitions, the glass panels of Mies’ pavilion challenge the conventional function of walls — rather than enclosing space, they act as devices to guide people through the building, channeling their path and blurring the boundaries between inside and out.

Featured Material Samples


Stainless Steel (loading-bearing columns)

Left: Barcelona Pavilion interior; image by Rory Hyde. Right: Materials inspired by the stainless steel columns; samples via Material Bank

Key to Mies van der Rohe’s design was a set of eight polished steel columns that support the roof. As Krohn explains, “the columns form a structural unit that represents a separate architectonic element independent of the non-loadbearing partitioning walls.” Their cruciform shape provides the necessary structural rigidity, while their polished finish reflects light and flashes of color from the surrounding marble. It also echoes the reflective quality of the pools on the exterior or the building.

Featured Material Samples


Black Glass (reflecting pool)

Left: Barcelona Pavilion exterior; image by Steven Zucker. Right: Materials inspired by the black glass of the reflecting pool; samples via Material Bank

Black glass was used to line the smaller of the two pools within the Barcelona pavilion, designed to heighten the reflective quality of the water and dramatize the solitary ornament within the building: a bronze reproduction of Georg Kolbe’s sculptural figure, entitled “Dawn”. Both the sculpture and the patterned marble walls behind it are perfectly reflected in the water, their curves contrasting with the perfectly straight lines that define the space.

Featured Material Samples


Ivory Leather (Barcelona Chairs)

Left: Interior featuring the Barcelona Chair; image by Yuichi. Right: Materials inspired by the Barcelona Chair; samples via Material Bank

Designed by Mies van der Rohe himself, the Barcelona Chair is an icon of modern design, to such an extent that faithful reproductions are still produced and sold today. The structure of the chair is polished stainless steel, echoing the cruciform columns of the pavilion. The back and cantilevered seat are upholstered with off-white kid leather, with welt and button details. MoMA sums it up best: “The Barcelona Chair achieves the serenity of line and the refinement of proportions and materials characteristic of Mies van der Rohe’s highly disciplined architecture.”

Featured Material Samples


Inspired by Mies? We invite you to create your own material mood boards using iconic architecture as your muse! Share your creations with editorial@architizer.com and we’ll publish a selection of the best on Architizer.

Top image: The Barcelona Pavilion via Wikimedia

Reference

The Future of Materials: Terracotta Rain Screens and Cladding
CategoriesArchitecture

The Future of Materials: Terracotta Rain Screens and Cladding

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’ll pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. Launching in September, our three-week-long virtual event will be 100% free to attend. Register here!

Terracotta is a material that spans millennia. Durable as it is beautiful, terracotta has a range of inherent building properties that makes it an ideal choice for construction. In contemporary architecture and design, terracotta is specified as a way to redefine building envelopes with both rain screens and cladding. With a range of colors, textures, and forms, this ceramic is a material used throughout history. Now we’re inviting experts in materials, architecture, and interiors to discuss the Future of Materials for an entire week this September. The virtual event, Future Fest, will be 100% free to attend.

Register for Future Fest

Dating back to the Babylonians, terracotta continues to be a material selected for diverse building types around the world. It’s also redefining the future of how we design. By definition, architectural terracotta refers to a fired mixture of clay and water that can be used in non-structural and structural capacities on the exterior or interior of a building. Each of the following projects reinterprets terracotta and its application in diverse building types.


Pope John Paul II Hall

By Randić and Associates, Rijeka, Croati

Sited in one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Croatia, this Great Hall was designed alongside the Pope’s visit to Rijeka. Housing cultural activities of the monastery, the project also creates a new major entrance for the pilgrims and a large public walk. A pixel-ized terracotta volume was designed to filter light inside the structure while a columned portico forms a new public square outside.

The building features a single terracotta-brick surface. By varying the gaps between the terracotta bricks, the pixelated structure brings light into the hall. Architectural terracotta is slightly different from normal bricks, they are plain or ornamental with a glazed coating and larger in size than brick. The color goes compliments existing construction at the monastery and imitates a simple hip-roofed barn.


The Wellin Museum of Art

By Machado Silvetti, Clinton, NY, United States

TerraClad façade by Boston Valley Terra Cotta

Located on the Hamilton College campus, the Wellin Museum of art was designed as part of a new arts quad. The building includes admin offices, seminar rooms, galleries, and a monumental two-story glass archive hall. Dark terracotta cladding was used along the central volume to reinforce its role programmatically and organizationally.

The TerraClad façade product made by Boston Valley was forming using an extrusion method. The enclosure combines both terracotta and precast cladding with curtain wall fenestration. The system was chosen to ensure that the thermal performance of the exterior enclosure would contribute to the building’s success and meet the College’s sustainability goals.


The Diana Center at Barnard College

By WEISS / MANFREDI, New York, NY, United States

Terracotta Frit Panel by Goldray Industries

Located at Barnard College, the Diana Center includes a gallery space, a library, classrooms, dining, and a black box theater. A slipped atria links spaces vertically and becomes connected through ascending stairs. Luminous terracotta glass panels were used throughout the building envelope. Surrounded by a campus defined by brick and terracotta, the Diana translates the static opacity of masonry into a luminous curtain wall.

The building’s color is created by a pale terracotta-colored frit on the #2 surface and the bright red painted back panel beneath. The glass panel, provided by Goldray Industries, is acid-etched on its exterior surface to give a matte texture, and the terracotta frit is on the interior surface.


Mercy Corps Global Headquarters

By Hacker, Portland, OR, United States

LONGOTON Terracotta Rainscreen Panels by Shildan

The Mercy Corps building was built to exemplify a sustainable, community-focused approach while encouraging visitors to engage with contemporary issues. Doubling the size of the historic Portland Packer-Scott Building, the landmark project combined a green roof, with resource-friendly landscaping and a glass and terracotta envelope.

Certified LEED Platinum, the project uses Shildan/Moeding LONGOTON® terracotta with extruded, double leaf, 40mm panels. The panel has increased strength from a chain of internal I-beam supports. The panels were chosen because of their flexibility in being able to be incorporated in both horizontal and vertical support systems, as well as a flexible orientation in layout.


School of Art & Design at New York State College of Ceramics

By Ikon.5 Architects, Alfred, NY, United States

Terracotta panels by Boston Valley Terra Cotta

The terracotta tube façade for this ceramics pavilion screens both rain and solar heat, while its staggered pattern was inspired by pottery racks. The Art Pavilion was created as a “ceramic vessel” holding both light and art. The design was inspired by the region’s history of manufacturing ceramics, and incorporates the unglazed, hollow tubes with an off-white pigment.

Boston Valley’s terracotta façade system recalls the interior program while defining a material and haptic boundary. South-facing galleries are protected from direct sunlight, while the pavilion dramatically engages campus on-lookers as a piece of ceramic art. It allows passerby to see inside the exhibition gallery and places student work on public display.


The Center for Asian Art at the Ringling Museum of Art

By Machado Silvetti, Sarasota, FL, United States

Terracotta panels by Boston Valley Terra Cotta

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art features both a permanent collection and temporary exhibition galleries on a historic sixty-six acre estate. Believed to be originally envisioned as one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, the Museum was ahead of its time in assembling a significant collection of Asian Art. Now governed by Florida State University, the Museum establishes the Ringling Estate as one of the largest museum-university complexes in the United States.

The Asian Art Study Center is an addition and ‘gut renovation’ and to the West Wing galleries on the southwest corner of the Museum complex. The addition’s façade is composed of deep-green, glazed terra cotta tiles that address the client’s requirement of a new monumental entrance. Machado Silvetti collaborated closely with Boston Valley Terra Cotta to develop the color, form and installation technique for the panels.

How can architecture be a force for good in our ever-changing world? During Future Fest, we’ll pose this question to some of the world’s best architects. Launching in September, our three-week-long virtual event will be 100% free to attend. Register here!

Reference

FMG’s New Stoneware Surfaces Deliver Incredible Design Flexibility for Architects
CategoriesArchitecture

FMG’s New Stoneware Surfaces Deliver Incredible Design Flexibility for Architects

One of the most challenging aspects of design is bridging the gap between concept and reality. Architects and interior designers are first and foremost creatives; they are visionaries who at times struggle to find the perfect material that will bring their concept to life without some form of compromise. Whether it be a change in budget, an unforeseen roadblock or a disconnect between designer and developer, using materials that can easily adapt to a modified design ensures a successful outcome.

Fortunately, Italian stoneware Brand FMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti, part of Iris Ceramica Group, has developed a new product with creatives in mind. After extensive research and a thorough development process, FMG’s new full-body porcelain stoneware surfaces offer a comprehensive selection of durable, flexible and color-forward stone composites. Through a combination of raw materials, pigmented powders and random mix of hues, a robust line of handmade-like, unrepeated stone effect surfaces have recently hit the market. Among the most distinctive stone composites from the collection are the Palladio, the Venice Villa and the Rialto.

Project featuring FMG’s “Venice Villa” full-body porcelain stoneware

FMG boasts a unique production system that presses toxic-free powders with raw materials into an extremely durable material. The result is a compact stoneware that is non-absorbent, resistant to atmospheric agents and frost-free. Such a product can be easily implemented in both indoor and outdoor spaces as well as in private and commercial settings. Due to its extreme durability, it can withstand high-traffic environments without compromising aesthetics and functionality.

What further makes full-body porcelain stoneware stand out is its special processing abilities, enabling this stoneware to be manufactured for each designer’s bespoke needs. Whether the design requires rounded, beveled or central curved edges, the stoneware can be cut to deliver the required shape.

Project featuring FMG’s “Palladio” collection

FMG’s collection pays tribute to the Brand’s Italian origins through its experimentation and interpretation of the traditional and well-loved Venetian terrazzo flooring. Terrazzo has been around for centuries and has managed to remain a popular floor treatment to date. From its Venetian origins to its wide popularity in the Art Deco movement – it maintains its relevance in today’s dynamic design world.

A common complaint of terrazzo is its susceptibility to cracks if not properly maintained or if installed on a poor structural base. The full-body porcelain stoneware’s durable surface ensures a long-lasting, crack-free product that achieves the beloved terrazzo aesthetic. This built-to-last product can be implemented in a plethora of surface types – kitchen countertops, chairs, and shower trays – thus offering a product that is multifunctional and in many ways more versatile than traditional terrazzo.

Project featuring FMG’s “Rialto” full-body porcelain stoneware in zinc

Such versatility is not only seen in its physical makeup but in its pronounced and adaptable aesthetic. Through a thoughtful mix of marble fragments, grit sizes and stones, this line offers perfectly textured and decorative surfaces. Each style boasts a terrazzo-esque design, and whether the preference is a tighter pattern or a looser look, there are various options to choose from.

The line comes complete with 30 color offerings, ranging from ivory to graphite. The variation of finishes ensures the designer’s ideal aesthetic can be achieved, from Naturale, Levigata (smooth) and Strutturata (structured) to Sabbiata (sandblasted). The Palladio, Venice Villa and Rialto all come with a 10 mm (0.4 inch) thickness, with eight different sizes available. Among the Brand’s typical size offerings — 120×60, 60×60, 60×30 and 20×20 cm — three new formats join this collection: 150×75, 120×120 and 75×75 cm.

Project featuring FMG’s “Rialto” in pink

FMG’s full-body porcelain stoneware truly celebrates the spirit and colorful architectural history of Venice. Even its products’ names — Palladio, Venice Villa and Rialto — pay tribute to Venetian architecture. Rialto echoes the bustling Venetian commercial district and Venice Villa pays tribute to the region’s astounding mansions, while Palladio references the prominent Italian Renaissance architect, Andrea Palladio.

Very few products can offer such flexibility all the while ensuring a long-lasting, high-quality finish, with the need to compromise on aesthetics. As a modern-day interpretation of classic terrazzo flooring, combined with highly resilient material qualities, FMG’s latest stoneware collection is one that architects and designers can rely on to realize their creative vision.

To learn more about full-body porcelain stoneware and explore all of FMG’s offerings, check out their website.

Reference