For this purpose, concrete rubble, bricks and mortar are used, which after processing become material for the manufacture of chairs and stools, write Designboom.
The new composite contains up to 85% recycled construction waste. The project combines material reuse, local recycling and digital manufacturing, creating a closed loop, as waste is not removed from the city but transformed into new objects in the same environment.
Photo: BENTU DESIGN
To obtain a printable material, construction debris undergoes several processing steps — crushing, size sorting, and mechanical activation. The fine fractions are combined with industrial by-products such as ash or slag powder, creating a cementitious component with binding properties. The larger particles are used as the base material for furniture.
Photo: BENTU DESIGN
The designers also applied special surface modifications to the particles that reduce water absorption and increase the material's strength. This allows the mixture to maintain the necessary fluidity for 3D printing, while remaining stable after layering.
Photo: BENTU DESIGN
The look of the furniture is also linked to the materials of the dismantled buildings. The designers analyzed photographs of such places and used characteristic colors: red shades of brick, gray color of concrete and blue-green tones of ceramic tiles.
During 3D printing, pigments are added gradually, layer by layer, so smooth color transitions appear on the surface.
Photo: BENTU DESIGN
To implement the project, the designers developed a mobile unit that can be placed directly at the dismantling sites. There, crushing, material preparation and printing take place. This approach reduces emissions from transportation by approximately 70%, and the level of material utilization reaches 92%.
Photo: BENTU DESIGN
According to the authors, manufacturing furniture from recycled concrete using 3D printing could reduce carbon emissions by 65–80% compared to traditional production of concrete or metal structures.
BENTU DESIGN emphasizes that the project not only solves the problem of waste, but also preserves the material memory of the urban environment. The furniture actually contains fragments of destroyed buildings and becomes a kind of archive of urban history, integrated into the public space.
Let us remind you that in Vienna installed street furniture with a cooling effect on the territory of the Spittelau incinerator.
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