Central Saint Martins graduates Brigitte Kock and Irene Roca Moracia have collaborated to create concrete-like tiles that give new "economic and ecological" value to invasive species.
The material for the tiles, which the researchers refer to as bio-concrete, is made from Japanese knotweed and shells from American signal crayfish.
The material can take on a range of different finishes
These are among the non-native species that are causing the most ecological and economic damage in the UK. By adding value to them, Kock and Moracia hope to incentivise their removal and help restore local biodiversity.
"Invasive species removal and control costs the UK around £1.8 billion annually," Moracia told Dezeen.
"The harvested material is incinerated, buried or trashed. We want to stop this waste. We do not want to create a new industry around this product but to relocate the waste the current system is producing." It has a raw, porous texture reminiscent of concrete
The project was commissioned as part of the Maison/0 graduate programme by the LVMH group, which counts Dior and Louis Vuitton among its brands, with the aim of developing a sustainable alternative to current building materials that could be used in luxury store interiors.
Kock and Moracia decided to target concrete, a major carbon emissions culprit. Rather than just mitigating its negative environmental impact, they set out to create a substitute that is actively beneficial.
Adding pieces...