I recently attended a materials show in Utrecht, Netherland; it was an eye-opener and shaped my consciousness in a new way. I learned much about materials I didn’t know existed, such as sustainable concrete tiles made from waste, but the fact that 90% of the 135 exhibitors would present a sustainable solution gave a clear direction. In a couple of days, I have the pleasure to be collaborating again with  FRAME speaking at their conference The Next Space in Madrid, and I will talk about and bring with me several sustainable materials.

The Novel Grey works with three different concrete mixes, from less to more sustainable. Their showìece is Inorganic Polymer Concrete (IPC), a cement-free mixture built up entirely out of waste products from the metal industry. IPC comes in different shades of brownish grey, whereas other cement mixtures allow for a broader colour range.

We have discovered how to process waste into concrete using old rubble, burnt and crushed ores from the steel industry, or elements from computer chips.

Little energy is needed to harden concrete, and it is easy to recycle. It makes a wonderfully sustainable product with a CO2 reduction of up to 80%!

The Novel Grey

Each tile is handmade; they work with three different types of concrete, from slightly sustainable to very sustainable; some include cement, while others are made from waste. These sustainable concrete titles are water and dirt repellent and made of reinforced concrete. The choice is customisable whether to place them inside or outside, on the ceiling or the wall; it could be an entire wall or individual pieces. However, in wet areas, they recommend waterproofing the wall to which the tiles are mounted.