THE STORY
Whenever an old building has to be demolished or its core removed, an enormous amount of demolition waste is produced. What seems like a pile of rubble, which usually ends up on our local dump sites, can actually be the beginning of a great new material story …
URBAN TERRAZZO is an innovative material, which transforms the remains of architectural debris into new surfaces for architecture and design. Urban waste – such as concrete, brick and other building materials – is carefully selected and reassembled by the principles of traditional Terrazzo-making, supported by contemporary technology. A special mixture of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete gives structural stability to old remains. As designers, we strive to give new life to disposed architectural remains. Just as every building inherits its own identity, our material is created based on locally available materials.
We believe that every building inherits its own material story, which is worth being told. From origin to original.
THEY FEED OFF BUILDINGS
Franklinstr. 11
4th floor
10587 Berlin, Germany
URBAN TERRAZZO BERLIN
The material for Urban Terrazzo Berlin derives from local demolition sites of the area. It is our aim to develop a closed material cycle of production. Therefor our production site for small- to medium-scale architecture projects, is located nearby the recycling court, which delivers our urban waste. The material contains Lusatian Granite, a characteristic natural stone of the region, as well as chips of old concrete from the post-war period. The old concrete is typically composed of a lot of brick leftovers – traces of the German era of „Wiederaufbau“ (reconstruction). It may also contain a smaller portion of clinker brick in red and gold, as well as asphalt and other natural stones.
URBAN TERRAZZO VERONA
The material for Urban Terrazzo Verona derives from local demolition sites of the area. It is our aim to develop a closed material cycle of production. Therefor our production site for medium- to large-scale architecture projects, is located nearby the recycling court, which delivers our urban waste. The material contains chips of old Terrazzo, the traditional Italian flooring of the area, as well as pieces of old concrete. It also shows old fragments of marble, which is widely used as a common building material in the region and usually stems from the extraction site of Carrara. It may also be composed of a smaller portion of red and golden brick, as well as asphalt and other natural stones.
Photos: Hannes Wiedemann
COLOR UT 001: LIMESTONE WHITE
Our Limestone White tells the story of the oldest building paint in history. Whitewash stamps the building tradition of Southern European villages. It was applied to famous architectures, including the Greek Acropolis, the Roman Colosseum and Villa Savoye. The latter was designed by Le Corbusier and encapsulates the Modernist style. Whitewash was tacitly understood as part of its plain look. Unlike contemporary paints it does not remain on the surface, but is absorbed easily by the underlying material. Consisting of antimicrobial lime it prevents molds.
COLOR UT 002: INDUSTRIAL BLACK
Our Industrial Black is an homage to steel. The impact of the industrial revolution on architecture was enormous. The development of new construction methods in iron and steel replaced building materials such as stone, brick and wood by providing taller and stronger structures than ever before. A well-known example is the AEG turbine factory situated in Berlin. Its, by the time unique design features 100 meters long and 15 meters tall walls consisting of steel and glass. Peter Behrens created an industrial architecture, which was not hiding behind historic facades anymore, but gained a new self-confidence.
COLOR UT 003: COPPER GREEN
Our Copper Green imitates the patina forming naturally on copper surfaces over time. In the past the roof of a church would turn green shortly after construction, whereas today the change of its color takes much longer. This is due to a better air quality. In acid rain, deriving from the use of coal fired ovens, for example, the copper oxidized faster. In 1929 the mayor of the German city of Cologne, Konrad Adenauer, had a pigment resembling the patina of copper produced. Until today the city is well known for its bridges painted in Cologne Green.
COLOR UT 004: BRICK PINK
Our Brick Pink derives from the dust of red bricks. The fired color of clay bricks is mainly determined by the mineral content of the used soil. Pink bricks are the result of a high iron content. As the firing temperature increases the color changes from dark red, to purple and then brown. Traditionally bricks were made of the local soil. Their names therefor reflect their origin together with the appending earth tones. The Berlin City Hall for instance is made of Rathenower Red, while the Royal Albert Hall of London is made of Fareham Red.
COLOR UT 005: BRICK GOLD
Our Brick Gold is the trace of yellow bricks. The fired color of clay bricks is mainly determined by the mineral content of the used soil. Yellow and beige to light brown bricks are the result of high lime content. Traditionally bricks were made of the local soil. Their names therefor reflect their origin together with the appending earth tones. In the mid and late 19th century the yellow brick was the most common building material in the U.S. city of Milwaukee. Until today the city’s nickname with its light yellow buildings is ‚Cream City‘. A Chipperfield landmark, which is actually made of old yellow bricks, is the gallery Am Kupfergraben in Berlin.
Product details
Size: | individual, adaptable sizes and special sizes |
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Colours: | limestone white, industrial black, copper green, brick pink, brick gold |
Material: | ultra performance concrete (UHPC), up to 50% demolition waste (ceramics, bricks, stone) |
Application: | indoor and outdoor |
Awards: | German Design Award Finalist 2019 Green Product Award Selection 2018 Bundespreis ecodesign 2018 |
Sustainability criteria
Country of origin: | Germany |
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Origin of materials: | Germany, Italy, Czech Republic … |
Function: | experimental, circular ability |
Manufacturing processes: | up to 50% demolition waste, cicular value chain, manufactured with local resources |