As we continue to report, and as pressure continues to grow to reduce waste across the built environment, an increasing number of designers are looking beyond recycling towards materials that are conceived around waste from the outset. Dutch design studio Blended Materials sits firmly within that movement, transforming discarded local resources into handcrafted architectural surfaces that challenge conventional ideas of both beauty and manufacture.

Founded by designer Tom van Soest, Blended Materials builds on more than a decade of research into waste-based construction materials. Van Soest first explored the concept while studying at the Design Academy Eindhoven, developing his graduation project around the idea that construction waste could become the raw material for new architectural products. That research led to the founding of StoneCycling, now FRONT, where the development of WasteBasedBricks demonstrated that reclaimed waste could meet the technical requirements of contemporary construction. In 2023, Van Soest returned to his original research, relaunching Blended Materials as an independent design studio focused on small-scale production and project-specific surface materials.

The studio's philosophy is straightforward: every waste stream has its own visual identity and should be celebrated rather than concealed. Instead of standardising materials into uniform products, Blended Materials works with locally available waste, allowing colour, texture and composition to reflect the origin of the material itself.

That approach results in tiles and interior surfaces made entirely from reclaimed resources, whether construction debris, industrial by-products or waste generated by individual clients. Rather than transporting materials across long supply chains, projects are often developed around waste sourced close to where the finished products will ultimately be installed, reinforcing both circularity and local identity.

Material experimentation remains central to the company's practice, with each composition developed according to the characteristics of the available waste stream, producing surfaces with distinctive mineral textures, aggregate patterns and tonal variation. No attempt is made to disguise the material's origins; instead, fragments of former products become part of a new visual language.

Every tile is produced by hand in the Netherlands, allowing the studio to adapt formulations and finishes to individual commissions while maintaining close control over quality. This small-batch approach enables architects and designers to commission bespoke surfaces tied directly to a particular building, location or material source, creating products that carry a tangible connection to place.

By replacing virgin raw materials with reclaimed waste, the studio significantly reduces demand for newly extracted resources while demonstrating how circular thinking can generate materials with genuine architectural character. Rather than viewing sustainability as a technical exercise alone, Blended Materials positions waste as a design opportunity.

While the studio is best known for handcrafted tiles, its research extends to bespoke wall surfaces, interior installations and custom architectural elements, each responding to the specific material palette of a project. This flexibility allows waste from one industry, or even from a single building, to become the finish of another.

Collaboration also plays an important role, and architects, manufacturers and clients are encouraged to contribute their own waste streams, allowing projects to develop materials with a direct narrative connection to their source. In doing so, Blended Materials shifts attention away from anonymous industrial production towards materials whose provenance remains visible throughout their lifecycle.

The result is a collection of handcrafted materials that demonstrate how discarded resources can acquire new value, and not by hiding where they came from, but by making their history an integral part of the finished surface.

As we've been reporting, the search for lower-impact materials is increasingly moving beyond simply replacing one resource with another. Instead, a growing number of designers and manufacturers are rethinking how materials are conceived in the first place, shifting attention from extraction and manufacture towards cultivation. Among those exploring this emerging territory is Dutch company Mycelium Material, whose work harnesses the natural growth of fungal networks to create circular products and architectural surfaces.

Founded on the belief that materials can be grown rather than manufactured, the company has developed a process that repurposes waste from mushroom cultivation into new sheet materials and formed components. We’ve seen a steady increase in the number of designers taking up the process in recent years, with the word mycelium itself going from dictionary-required to household term in rapid time.

And, as has been widely reported, mycelium is the underground network of fungal threads that binds together forest ecosystems by breaking down organic matter and redistributing nutrients. Rather than treating this biological process as something to imitate, Mycelium Material uses it directly. The company's products are created from spent mushroom substrate and living mycelium, allowing the organism to grow through the waste material and bind it into a solid mass. Once the desired form has been achieved, the growth process is halted, leaving behind a lightweight, fully bio-based material.

The approach transforms what would traditionally be an agricultural waste stream into a new resource. Instead of relying on virgin feedstocks, the company works exclusively with substrate blocks that have already completed their primary role in mushroom production, extending their useful life before they eventually return to the biological cycle.

Material research sits at the centre of the practice, and by varying both the substrate and the behaviour of the mycelium itself, different physical characteristics can be achieved, allowing materials to be developed that are rigid, flexible or somewhere in between. Equally, the material has inherent insulatory qualities, making it an ideal environmentally sound choice for keeping buildings warm. And, because the material grows within moulds rather than being machined from larger stock, it can be produced as flat panels or more complex three-dimensional forms.

Ultimately, the process challenges conventional ideas of manufacture; rather than shaping an inert material through cutting, pressing or casting, the material effectively assembles itself over time, using biological growth to create structure with relatively low energy input. 

Mycelium Material describes its approach as one of symbiosis, drawing parallels between the way fungi exchange nutrients within woodland ecosystems and the collaborative relationships required to build more circular manufacturing systems. 

As the surfaces sector undergoes a slow but significant shift towards reduced embodied carbon, UK materials technology company Dekiln is developing a kiln-free alternative to conventional ceramic tiles and, with it, replaces high-temperature firing with a low-energy, bio-based manufacturing process.

The starting point for Dekiln is a fundamental rethink of what a tile actually is. Rather than relying on traditional clay bodies and energy-intensive kilns, the company has developed a patented composite material that mimics many of the visual and performance characteristics of ceramics without the need for sintering or glazing. The result is a tile-like material formed at ambient temperatures, using a combination of plant-derived binders and finely processed waste mineral streams, including recycled gypsum plaster.

In environmental terms, the implications are significant, with the material achieving a reduction in embodied carbon of up to 94% compared with conventional ceramic tiles, while also incorporating more than 95% recycled content. For an industry where firing kilns remain one of the most energy-intensive stages of production, the removal of high-temperature processing represents a fundamental shift in how surface materials can be made.

Dekiln’s approach sits at the intersection of materials science and circular economy thinking. Waste streams that would typically be downcycled or discarded are instead re-engineered into a new composite matrix, where plant-based binders act as the structural glue. Once cured, the material behaves in a way that is intentionally familiar to specifiers: it can be cut, installed and finished using processes broadly aligned with standard tile workflows, allowing adoption without wholesale changes to installation practice.

While the material itself is central to the story, the company’s trajectory is equally defined by its move from research into industrial application. Founded by materials scientist Dr Aled Roberts, Dekiln has emerged from an academic and laboratory environment into a commercial phase supported by both funding and industry collaboration. Roberts was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Green Future Fellowship, securing £3 million in support for continued development and scale-up.

That transition is now being accelerated through a partnership with Johnson Tiles, one of the UK’s leading tile manufacturers. The collaboration is focused on scaling Dekiln’s technology for commercial interiors, combining the start-up’s low-carbon material innovation with Johnson Tiles’ manufacturing capability, technical expertise and established market reach.

“This marks an important milestone for Dekiln as we transition from the laboratory to industrial scale manufacturing,” says Dr Roberts. “Johnson Tiles’ technical expertise, market reach and sustainability focus makes them an ideal partner to support our ambition to scale-up and commercialise our technology.”

From Johnson Tiles’ perspective, the partnership reflects a broader shift within the ceramics industry towards alternative production methods that retain material familiarity while significantly reducing environmental impact. As Jason Bridges, Procurement Director at Johnson Tiles, notes, the Dekiln approach challenges conventional assumptions about what is required to achieve ceramic-like performance.

“Aled’s fresh thinking on solving the recycling of waste alongside removing the sintering process to create a product with all the performance and aesthetic qualities of traditional tiles without anywhere near the embodied carbon is a real game-changer,” he says. “It aligns perfectly with Johnson Tiles’ sustainable thinking.”

Alongside technical development, the two companies are also exploring the potential for a pilot or demonstration manufacturing facility in Stoke-on-Trent - a location deeply associated with Britain’s ceramic heritage. The symbolic value of situating a next-generation tile technology within the historic heartland of kiln-fired production is not lost on the partners, particularly as the industry reassesses the future of energy-intensive manufacturing.

Materiality has been central to House of EM's approach since the practice was established by former Michaelis Boyd directors Emma Bodie and Matthew Sanders. As discussed in our recent Surface Perspectives interview with the practice, their work is grounded in the careful selection of natural materials and a close reading of place. Those principles find clear expression in Skylark, the studio's first completed building – a new family home overlooking the River Teme in Shropshire.

Designed for James and Sam Charters and their young family, the 383m² house occupies a previously overgrown plateau with expansive views across the surrounding landscape. Rather than imposing itself on the site, the building has been carefully positioned to balance privacy, sunlight and long-distance vistas, while drawing on a restrained palette of brick, stone, timber, lime and concrete to establish a strong sense of permanence.

The house is organised around an F-shaped plan that creates a series of connected yet distinct living spaces. Solid elevations address the approach road, punctuated by carefully positioned openings, while the rear of the house opens towards terraces, gardens and the wider landscape. Internally, a sequence of interconnected family spaces is subtly defined through changes in level, bespoke joinery and an integrated fireplace rather than walls, allowing openness without sacrificing intimacy.

Throughout the project, material choices reinforce that architectural clarity. Externally, the house is wrapped in elongated light-grey Danish brick, selected following an extensive process of research, mock-ups and material testing. Castellated brick detailing, inspired by the masonry of Tate Modern, introduces depth, rhythm and changing shadow across the façades, giving the otherwise restrained form a distinctive surface character.

Inside, the palette becomes softer but equally tactile. Lime plaster walls sourced from neighbouring Herefordshire are paired with chestnut ceilings milled from local timber, while bespoke joinery integrates seamlessly with the architecture. Concrete floors provide visual continuity and thermal mass, allowing the materials themselves to define the character of the spaces.

Natural stone provides carefully judged moments of contrast throughout the interior. Deeply veined marble has been specified for the kitchen worktop and bathroom vanity, introducing richness and permanence against the otherwise muted palette of lime, timber and concrete. Rather than acting as decorative focal points, the stone surfaces sit comfortably within the wider material composition, reinforcing House of EM's preference for honest, enduring materials that improve with age.

The same attention to detail extends beyond finishes. Rectilinear forms are echoed throughout built-in furniture, shelving and seating, while large expanses of glazing frame views of the landscape and strengthen the relationship between interior and exterior. Even the castellated brickwork finds an echo internally within the dining banquette, creating subtle continuity between outside and in.

What’s more, environmental performance was considered alongside material expression from the outset. Air source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and high levels of airtightness reduce operational energy demand, while exposed concrete floors act as thermal mass to moderate internal temperatures throughout the year. A green roof, extensive native planting and more than 2,000 bulbs further enhance biodiversity across the site.

For House of EM, the project demonstrates the value of designing through close collaboration with both client and context.

"Skylark allowed us to explore how architecture can be both ambitious and intimately connected to place," says Matthew Sanders. "Working closely with the clients enabled us to deliver a home that is bold, considered, and deeply rooted in context."

Emma Bodie adds: "Collaborating with James and Sam made the process seamless. The result is a home that feels modern, distinctive, and entirely in harmony with its surroundings."

Although Skylark marks the practice's first completed building under the House of EM name, it exhibits a confidence that reflects the founders' wider experience. Rather than relying on expressive form alone, the project draws much of its identity from the careful orchestration of materials. Brick establishes rhythm and permanence, timber introduces warmth, lime softens the interiors, concrete grounds the spaces, and marble provides moments of richness and refinement.

Together, they create a house that feels unmistakably contemporary while remaining firmly rooted in its Shropshire setting

Images © Richard Gaston

Following our coverage of House Porphyry, where stone, timber and carefully considered detailing combined to create a home rooted in material honesty, we spoke to London practice Mosley Thorold about the thinking that underpins its work. Founded by Nathaniel Mosley and Henry Thorold in 2017, the studio has developed a reputation for architecture that places craftsmanship, making and collaboration with specialist fabricators at the centre of the design process. Here, the practice reflects on why understanding how things are made continues to shape its approach, from bespoke furniture and lighting to architectural interventions at every scale.

Nathaniel

“For us, an understanding of the way things are made is integral to designing beautiful objects and spaces for living. Hands-on craftsmanship is not a style but a method that works. It begins with drawings as tools for thinking, models as working prototypes, and conversations with clients as central to design. We curate spaces for living by collaborating with makers, joiners, metalworkers and specialist fabricators who speak the language of their tools; be they traditional or contemporary.

Henry

Every material we use is carefully selected to express its character thoughtfully. This resonance is captured in how a material sheds water, responds to light or feels underfoot. Should a material resist the effect of time or embrace it?

The Counterbalance Pendant is an early example in a series of bespoke creations that embody this approach. What began with experiments in casting concrete in latex evolved into a complex project combining raw steel, turned brass and thin-shell concrete forms. In-house fabrication allowed for an intensive process of iteration and material refinement.

Scaling up, the Dalston Railways Cottages Bench sits in a garden of a residential project, exploring how form can soften a space. The curved concrete bench, created in collaboration with the contractor, used a diamond grinder fixed on a custom jig to create its precise shape. The jig was bolted down to the ground with the grinder hinged in the centre to create a physical compass that sculpted the surface of the cast concrete bench. This physical making process produced an object that respects its context and grows from its surroundings.

Similar values carry through to the Cruciform Shelving in the basement of St Mary’s Mews House. By finessing the detailing at a finer scale, we attempted to bring the materiality of the external Corten detailing to the interior. Every component was thoughtfully crafted, allowing the adjustable modular system to adapt to both variations in its physical context and its use over time. The Cruciform Shelving illustrates our ongoing study in low-tech sustainability; it is easy to assemble, resilient over time and entirely non-mass-produced.

The team values creating highly crafted spaces to match clients’ authentic way of living and personal brief. A bespoke dining table for conviviality, hosting, and conversation distils our design philosophy into a single domestic object. Its curved edge draws people together, creating a centrepiece inviting interaction. Pared back and almost archetypal, the table exemplifies how form and function are inseparable and best when shaped by hands.

In Clerkenwell Eyrie, we designed a CNC-cut plywood staircase that joins two levels with sculptural efficiency. Through fabrication and the logic of flat-pack furniture, it remains easy to assemble on site with minimal cutting required. It’s a great example of how we like to merge contemporary fabrication and technical nous to deliver a cost-effective design solution without losing the warmth of the hand. 

That commitment to technical precision and material resourcefulness continues in an upcoming residential project that uses boardmarked concrete externally. Timber boards have been selected and sandblasted to highlight the grain, ensuring the concrete cast against them will bring out the texture and relief in the final surface. The decision to cast the concrete in a single 4.5 metre high pour constitutes a refusal to let a technical challenge restrict design thinking. It requires bespoke formwork to support the concrete, including a steel column system that ensures the formwork can withstand the pressure of the pour without relying on the existing party wall.

We view our work as a quiet resistance to the culture of disposability; it is slow, precise and grounded. Each project is built on lasting relationships with materials, place and people. For us, architecture is less a product and more a process of making, reflecting the value of design elements built to last and enjoyed.”

Few natural materials have been as consistently adapted, refined and industrialised as cork. Harvested from the bark of the cork oak tree without felling the tree itself, it sits at a rare intersection between renewable resource and high-performance industrial material. At the centre of its continued evolution is Amorim Cork Solutions, the flooring and wall systems business of the Amorim Group, whose heritage in cork dates back to 1868.

With deep roots in Portugal’s cork industry and a long-standing commitment to working with natural materials, the company has developed a portfolio of flooring and surface systems that combine cork’s inherent properties with contemporary manufacturing technologies. Under the Wicanders brand, Amorim Cork Solutions has spent decades refining how cork can be used not only as a niche material, but as a mainstream surface solution for residential, commercial and public environments.

At its core, cork offers a combination of properties that is difficult to replicate synthetically. Its cellular structure contains millions of air-filled compartments, giving it natural elasticity, thermal insulation and acoustic absorption. In practice, this translates into flooring that is quieter underfoot, warmer to the touch and more forgiving in use than many conventional hard surfaces.

Cork flooring can reduce sound transmission by up to 67%, while also delivering consistent thermal comfort throughout the year. It is also naturally resilient, absorbing impact and returning to form, which contributes to both durability and walking comfort. These qualities have helped cork move beyond its traditional association with bottle stoppers into a broader architectural and interior design context.

Wicanders flooring systems are structured around this material foundation, but enhanced through layered construction and surface technologies. Collections such as Cork Inspire, Cork Essence and Cork Go are designed to respond to different building types and usage levels, from high-performance commercial interiors to domestic spaces where comfort is a priority.

Cork Inspire combines a rigid core with cork layers to improve dimensional stability and resistance to everyday humidity, while also reducing the product’s overall environmental footprint through material efficiency. Cork Essence focuses on design expression, using cork’s natural qualities as a base for more decorative, trend-led surfaces. Cork Go, meanwhile, is positioned for residential applications, offering a balance of affordability, comfort and ease of installation.

One of the defining aspects of Amorim’s approach is the integration of visual design technologies with natural cork. Through high-resolution digital printing and registered embossing (EIR), the company is able to replicate the appearance and surface texture of wood and stone with a high degree of realism. Collections such as Wood Natural, Wood Inspire and Stone Natural demonstrate this approach, combining familiar material aesthetics with cork’s underlying performance benefits.

This hybrid method allows designers to specify stone or timber visuals without the full environmental impact associated with quarrying or deforestation. In the case of Wood Natural, for example, no trees are felled in the production process, while Stone Natural delivers a mineral aesthetic with the thermal and acoustic advantages of cork beneath the surface.

Beyond flooring, Amorim Cork Solutions has expanded into wall coverings and interior surfacing systems. Cork Pure Floor & Wall extends the material into vertical applications, while Dekwall offers a range of cork-based wall finishes designed to introduce both visual texture and acoustic softness into interiors. The Burel Cork Wall capsule collection further explores material circularity, combining cork with burel wool, a traditional Portuguese textile, and incorporating industrial textile waste into the production process.

Across all product lines, cork remains the unifying material logic. Its performance is not limited to comfort alone, but extends to indoor air quality, environmental impact and lifecycle considerations. All products are tested against stringent chemical emissions standards, with compliance across more than 2,000 potential compounds, reflecting increasing demand for healthier interior environments.

From a sustainability perspective, cork’s role is particularly significant. It is harvested from living trees on a cyclical basis, allowing the bark to regenerate over time while maintaining forest ecosystems that support biodiversity and carbon capture. Amorim positions this not simply as a material advantage, but as a long-term environmental framework that underpins its entire production model.

Today, Amorim Cork Solutions’ products are used across a wide range of sectors, from residential housing and hospitality interiors to offices, libraries, museums and public buildings. The versatility of cork, both as a natural material and as a technologically enhanced surface system, has allowed it to move comfortably between architectural contexts that demand both performance and sensory quality.

While cork has a long industrial history, its current application through companies like Amorim reflects a broader shift in surface materials: towards systems that are quieter, more comfortable, lower impact and more closely aligned with natural cycles. 

As the reality of an ageing population starts to take effect here in the UK, designers are increasingly being asked to consider how their choices can be of assistance, not least in care homes. Grant Westfield Product and Marketing Director Elliott Fairlie discusses how Multipanel wall panels are being increasingly specified in care environments where speed of installation, hygiene and reduced disruption are critical. Drawing on the refurbishment of 46 en-suite wet rooms at Spring Grove Care Home in Hampstead, North London, he explains how the system is helping streamline bathroom upgrades in live care settings where continuity of care and resident wellbeing are paramount, while also offering the effect of natural materials through high-quality printing.

“Bathroom refurbishment in care homes is never simple in live environments. The challenge is not only to upgrade facilities, but to do so while protecting residents’ routines, maintaining hygiene standards and avoiding prolonged disruption to day-to-day care.

That was the situation at Spring Grove Care Home in Hampstead, where 46 en-suite wet rooms needed refurbishing in a setting where many residents are living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. In this type of environment, consistency, familiarity and routine are particularly important, making lengthy bathroom closures and intrusive works difficult to manage.

Springdene needed a wall surface solution that would deliver on hygiene, durability, ease of maintenance and installation speed, while also creating bathrooms that looked modern and welcoming rather than clinical. Traditional tiling was ruled out early in the process because of the time, specialist trades and maintenance associated with tile and grout installations.

Instead, the group turned to our product, Multipanel, a grout-free, fully waterproof alternative to tiles, helping the project team complete each wet room in just 1.5 days from start to finish. For a live care home environment, that speed was central to the success of the refurbishment.

For care home operators, the benefits of faster installation extend beyond programme efficiency. Shorter refurbishment times mean rooms can return to use more quickly, residents experience less upheaval, and care teams have fewer operational pressures to manage during the works. At Spring Grove, the use of wall panels enabled bathrooms to be upgraded floor by floor in weeks rather than months, helping reduce disruption for both residents and staff.

One of the key advantages of wall panels in care home bathrooms is the elimination of grout. In wet rooms, grout lines can require regular cleaning and maintenance, and over time may become vulnerable to mould, grime or moisture-related issues. Multipanel’s smooth, grout-free surfaces are designed to be simple to clean and resistant to mould and moisture ingress, helping reduce the burden on maintenance and housekeeping teams.

This low-maintenance performance is especially important in care homes, where bathrooms must remain safe, hygienic and easy to manage over the long term. By reducing the need for ongoing repairs, deep cleaning and grout maintenance, wall panels can help staff spend less time managing the building fabric and more time focused on resident care.

The Spring Grove project also shows that practical performance does not have to come at the expense of design. Springdene wanted to move away from the institutional look often associated with healthcare bathrooms and create spaces that felt calm, contemporary and comfortable. The panels helped achieve a brighter, more hotel-style finish while retaining the hygiene and durability required in a care setting, supporting a shift away from purely clinical aesthetics.

Accessibility was another important consideration. The refurbished wet rooms needed to support residents with a range of mobility and cognitive needs. At Spring Grove, Multipanel wall panels were combined with slip-resistant vinyl wet room flooring to create level-access, easy-to-navigate bathrooms. The design meets Lifetime Homes and accessibility standards, supporting long-term safety and usability for residents who may require additional assistance.

For specifiers, developers and care home operators, Spring Grove demonstrates how wall panels can support both practical and design-led refurbishment goals. Multipanel wall panels are described as being up to five times quicker to install than traditional tiles, while also offering a 30-year warranty, FSC certification and EPD credentials. This makes them relevant not only for care homes, but also for retirement living, supported housing and other independent living environments where speed, compliance, maintenance and sustainability all matter.

As pressure continues across the care sector, refurbishment solutions that minimise disruption while improving quality of life are increasingly valuable. Bathrooms must be safe and accessible, but they also need to feel comfortable, dignified and easy to use. The Spring Grove project is proof that you don’t have to compromise on aesthetics or performance to gain speed. Our approach allows specifiers to deliver contemporary, durable bathrooms that work for everyone — residents, staff and operators alike.”

As we’ve been reporting, there is a growing body of work that seeks to rethink waste not as a by-product to be hidden, but as the beginning of an entirely new material language. Few emerging designers have explored that idea with as much geological curiosity as Luxembourg-based Studio Jules Péan, whose New Rocks collection transforms industrial dust and local sediments into furniture and sculptural objects that appear closer to quarried stone than manufactured composites.

While the collection has attracted attention through recent appearances at Milan Design Week, Paris Design Week and Dutch Design Week, as well as recognition at the Luxembourg Design Awards and MaterialDistrict, the exhibitions are ultimately secondary to the material research itself. The work is less concerned with producing a new aesthetic than with questioning how materials acquire value, permanence and emotional resonance.

At the heart of New Rocks is a deceptively simple proposition: what if industrial waste could be treated as geological matter rather than refuse?

Working with recycled industrial dust alongside locally sourced stone sediments, hempcrete and mycelium, Péan has developed a slow casting process that allows these finely graded materials to consolidate into dense, stone-like forms. The resulting objects retain subtle evidence of their origins, with mineral inclusions, tonal variation and layered textures recalling naturally occurring rock rather than conventional manufactured surfaces.

The process deliberately resists industrial efficiency; instead of disguising imperfections or striving for uniformity, each piece is allowed to develop its own surface character, embracing irregularity as an intrinsic quality of the material. In doing so, the work echoes geological processes that unfold over time, compressing ideas of sedimentation, pressure and transformation into contemporary design objects.

The latest iteration of the research, New Rocks – Columns, extends this thinking into modular furniture. Composed of stacked cylindrical elements, the pieces possess an architectural quality that references both classical stone construction and naturally weathered rock formations. Their monolithic appearance contrasts with the knowledge that they originate not from quarrying but from reclaimed industrial by-products.

This tension between perception and provenance sits at the centre of Péan's practice. Although the finished objects read as carved or cast stone, their value lies equally in the narrative embedded within the material itself. Waste becomes structure; dust becomes mass.

That approach reflects a broader shift within contemporary material research, where designers are increasingly seeking alternatives to virgin resources by reimagining industrial side streams. Rather than attempting to imitate natural stone directly, however, New Rocks establishes its own material identity and one that borrows the visual and tactile qualities of geology while remaining honest about its manufactured origins.