Spotted: According to a 2021 study, about 1.5 billion tyres end up as waste every year. But Polish company Contec has a better idea than letting tyres go to landfill, however, and is treating used tyres as a source of valuable raw materials.
Contec uses pyrolysis to break down the vulcanised rubber in the tyres. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process in which the shredded tyres are heated to temperatures between 400-700 degrees Celsius in an oxygen-free atmosphere. This breaks down large, vulcanised rubber molecules into smaller compounds to produce soot, gas, oil, and other chemicals.
By adapting this process, Contec is able to recover rubber and steel for reuse in new tyres, oil for use in the chemical and refining industry, and carbon black, which is used as a pigment and a filler to the mechanical strength of rubber compounds used in tyre manufacture.
Although still in the early stages, Contec has developed its process to a commercial capacity. The company recently secured zł 70 million (around €15.6 million) in funding from investors HiTech ASI, Pruszyński Sp. z o.o. and Mariusz Machciński. The funding will be used to the processing capacity of their plant from 10,000 to 33,000 tonnes of used tyres a year.
Contec is not alone in the search for a more sustainable way to manufacture and recycle tyres. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted innovations such as a bio-based carbon black and tyres made from recycled plastic.
Kitchens with exposed concrete surfaces take centre stage in this lookbook, which includes homes in Mexico, Japan and Ireland.
Concrete is a ubiquitous material in architecture, but it is less commonly used in interiors – particularly in residential spaces such as kitchens.
However, its durability and impermeability make it an ideal surface material for cooking and food preparation, while its raw aesthetic can create a striking backdrop for dining and entertaining.
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. Other recent editions showcase airy balconies, marble bathrooms and gallery interiors.
Photo by Toshiyuki Yano
House in Jiyugaoka, Japan, by Airhouse Design Office
Airhouse Design Office created this kitchen as part of its renovation of an apartment for a fashion fanatic in Nagoya, Japan.
Like the rest of the home, the kitchen’s walls, floor and ceiling have been stripped back to expose the concrete beneath. While some areas were left with chipped edges and plaster, others have been polished for a smooth finish.
Find out more about House in Jiyugaoka ›
Photo by Daniela Mac Adden
Casa H3, Argentina, by Luciano Kruk
This open-plan kitchen and dining room sits on the ground floor of a holiday home by architect Luciano Kruk in Mar Azul.
Blending seamlessly into the home’s concrete structure, it features geometric shelving and kitchen counters that extend from the walls and floor. Its industrial look is complemented by an enamel pendant light and a pair of wireframe chairs.
Find out more about Casa H3 ›
Photo by Rory Gardiner
Casa Alférez, Mexico, by Ludwig Godefroy
In a pine forest in Mexico, architect Ludwig Godefroy created a brutalist cube-shaped home that is built from concrete cast in situ.
This includes its kitchen, where the shelving and worktops are also all cast from concrete. Here, their raw finishes are juxtaposed with delicate ceramics and Danish designer Hans Wegner’s Wishbone chairs, visually softening the space.
Find out more about Casa Alférez ›
Photo by João Ferrand
Flower House, Portugal, by Ezzo
The concrete worktops of this sunken kitchen double up as a smooth floor for the dining room at Flower House, a renovated dwelling in Porto.
Wood-fronted cabinets slot in beneath the flooring, which was hand-poured on site and has been covered with a waterproof coating to give it a polished look.
Find out more about Flower House ›
Photo by Onnis Luque and Fabian Martinez
Toad’s House, Mexico, by Espacio 18 Arquitectura
Throughout the minimalist Toad’s House on Zapotengo Beach in Oaxaca, architecture studio Espacio 18 has left the concrete structure unfinished and exposed.
In the bar-style kitchen, the board-marked walls are teamed with glass ornaments and woven baskets, while a central island has been topped with a wooden countertop.
Find out more about Toad’s House ›
Photo by Toshiyuki Yano
House T, Japan, by Suppose Design Office
This concrete kitchen is among the purposely dark and cave-like living spaces in the monolithic home that Suppose Design Office designed for its founder in Tokyo.
Its concrete walls and worktops have tactile finishes, which stand against a backdrop of large stone floor tiles and wooden furnishings.
Find out more about ›
Photo by Aisling McCoy
Hollybrook Road, Ireland, by TOB Architect
Irish studio TOB Architect designed this concrete kitchen extension to evoke the feeling of “being a child under a very robust table”.
It was cast in situ as one geometric form with the goal of creating a seamless and cavernous look inside. The architect chose an otherwise restrained material palette of terrazzo, walnut and Accoya wood in an effort to retain focus on the texture of the concrete.
Find out more about Hollybrook Road ›
Photo by Daniela Mac Adden
Casa Golf, Argentina, by Luciano Kruk
Another concrete kitchen by architect Luciano Kruk is found in Casa Golf, a holiday home on the Argentinian coastline.
Paired with black cabinets and extractor ducting, its dark-grey surfaces add texture to the space without distracting from the outward views framed by the variety of windows that line the space.
Find out more about Casa Golf ›
This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. Other recent editions showcase airy balconies, marble bathrooms and gallery interiors.
Ultra Architects form ‘Broken Down House’ in Poznan
Ultra Architects takes over the construction of a three-story residence designed following the unfavorable shape of a sloping plot in Poznań, Poland. Confined by the requirements imposed by the development conditions, the ‘Broken House’ forms a fragmented structure on the elongated parallelogram site, while retaining the mandatory building line that specifies the placement of walls, the angle of inclination of the roof, and the maximum height of the ridge. The frame’s main body contains functional interiors, and its elevations covered with raw larch slats fit perfectly into the natural, green surroundings.
all images by Przemysław Turlej
classical barn-like shape revised and fragmented in blocks
The design team at Ultra Architects revises the classical barn-like shaped block for the design of the contemporary residential project. The body of the house fits into the plot through a bent in the place of the ridge. The volume forms a roof with two slopes, with the eastern elevation based on the building line indicated by the office. The rather problematic geotechnical terrain leads to the construction of a reinforced concrete frame of adequate rigidity and economic efficiency, allowing the design of more daring spatial solutions. The structure expands three levels along the descending plot. The middle floor arranges the entrance area, garage, children’s rooms, and a small independent apartment, while the living and kitchen area and a conservatory reside on the lowest story. The upper level assembles the master bedroom and a study zone.
the design revises the classical barn-like shaped block
a structural staircase interconnects all floors
The binding element between all the floors is a spatially designed staircase. The formed staircase acts as a ventilation chimney in summer, forcing the natural movement of air, while in winter it draws the heat generated by the sun into the house, along with the adjacent conservatory. The facade and roofs of the house, as well as the fence, are finished with raw larch slats. In the interior, the structural frame of the house made of concrete remains unplastered. All furniture in the interior is designed from lacquered plywood, and the floors of the living and communication areas are made from terrazzo.
the facades covered with wooden slats fit perfectly into the natural, green surroundings
the facade and roofs of the house, as well as the fence, are finished with raw larch slats
the structure expands three levels along the descending plot
