The Aesthetics of Crushing: design based on the transformation of ceramic construction waste

Does ceramic waste have the potential to help reduce the use of virgin clay in building projects?

A large share of Denmark’s subsoil consists of clay, and clay has always been an important ingredient in our building materials. Subsoil clay is formed over millions of years, and when it’s gone, it’s gone. That’s why it’s important to investigate how far we can reduce the use of virgin clay in building projects.

The project conducts experiments into the transformation of ceramic construction waste – which usually ends up as rubble or road aggregate – into a new building material: Discarded bricks are crushed into granular aggregate and mixed with particles of clay as a binder. Next, the paste is pressed into moulds, and then fired and subjected to a variety of finishing processes to take care of tactile subtleties and more aesthetic surfaces.

This results in several profiled objects that can eventually be used in building projects.