A London architecture firm called Bureau de Change has developed a series of patterned tiles in Thames Glass, a bio glass manufactured by Lulu Harrison, student of Master Material Futures, starting with mussel shells.
The founders of the English firm, Katerina Dionysopoulou e Billy Mavropoulos, they explored the possibility of using this bio glass (made, as mentioned, with ground shells of quagga mussels together with local sand and waste wood ash) to cover buildings in an ecological way. Beautiful cast glass tiles have emerged, with motifs inspired by the terracotta chimneys of the 1800s.
Thames Glass, sustainable coating of the future
Glass is already sustainable in its own right: you know, it is infinitely recyclable. This Thames Glass, then, offers the possibility of creating it from zero kilometer waste materials: mussel shells in particular. In the UK they end up in landfill and often block tunnels over the Thames, so they need to be removed.
The possibility of combining the useful (cleaning of collectors) with the very useful (the creation of sustainable building coverings with biomaterials) is magnificent.
The experiments between Harrison and Bureau de Change first produced blown glass objects (jugs, glasses, vases and more), then materials to be used in construction and architecture.
Old London is reborn all of glass
The design by Dionysopoulou and Mavropoulos harks back to London's architectural history: the two architects were inspired by Royal Doulton, who built many terracotta fireplaces and the city's water pipes in the mid-XNUMXth century.
The “mussel” fused bio glass tiles replicate those original textures, and they are beautiful. In the project, they were used to bring three pubs on the banks of the Thames back to life, giving them a new bright "dress", all in glass.
A future that knows of the past: how to define it? Steampunk isn't the right term, but I can't find any others at the moment. The way in which these suggestive places (close to rivers and bridges) are recovered is always fascinating.
Bio glass with mussel shells, great potential
Thames Glass could have a real future in architecture, if we think about the correct use of this bio glass. It is an artisanal product, so each tile is unique and has unique imperfections: it will not be easy to certify them in a "unitary" way for safety and durability.
even if there would be challenges.
The handcrafted nature of bio-glass means that each tile is unique in color and finish, and imperfections are common. It would be difficult to test and certify in terms of safety and durability.
By finding an acceptable "minimum union solidity", however, this product will be able to do two great things: extract wealth from waste and embellish the facades of buildings with an extremely personal touch.
This is the future that I like.
