Healthy Materials with Matter of Stuff
Materials for a healthy interior with Matter of Stuff in London, UK
Green & Healthy Places podcast episode 032
Wellbeing & sustainability in real estate & hospitality
Welcome to Episode 032 of the Green & Healthy Places podcast, in which we explore the worlds of wellbeing and sustainability in real estate and hospitality. I'm your host, Matt Morley, wellbeing champion - Founder of BIOFILICO healthy buildings and BIOFIT wellness concepts.
This episode, I'm back in London, UK talking to the two Italian founders of Matter Of Stuff - a furniture procurement consultancy that offers bespoke manufacturing via a network of craftsmen as well as research and development of new materials and manufacturing processes.
sustainable interior materials
My conversation with Simona and Sofia focuses on the sustainable material side of their offer. It is worth noting that their range goes far beyond that inspired, at least in part by their links to artisans throughout their home country.
Here though, we're digging into the importance of choosing locally produced building materials, considering a materials entire lifecycle, and a circular economy approach to repurposing building waste.
In terms of specific materials, we cover things like sustainable ceramics, clay plaster, live mycelium, recycled glass, biodegradable cork walls, and an ingenious sea stone product made of discarded seashells from the seafood industry.
All of this is really just a reflection of the wealth of knowledge at the fingertips that these two young ladies have. And they're now setting their sights on construction materials in addition to interior surface materials, so expect to hear plenty more from them over the next year or so.
Matter Of Stuff
Yeah, so I'm Simona. And we're both architects, we set up Matter Of Stuff seven years ago, wow. Time flies, but we came from an architectural background working in offices in London, I had a big studio for myself. And we find a gap in between the manufacturing industry and what is the the actual scenes of the architectural industry. So we are defining ourself as a consultancy for both materials and procurement of furniture manufacturing. We are actually trying to fill the gap in between architects, interior designers, and the manufacturing world.
Healthy interior materials for architects
So are you finding that generally, is it perhaps that architects are focusing on on the big picture, and they perhaps have their regular materials that they go to materials that it's easy for them to specify? And in a sense, you're, you're trying to propose new ideas?
Matter Of Stuff
“Busy architects may not have the luxury of time to research deeply new products and materials constantly. This topic has become very broad and their job has been pushed into larger more complex projects, so we help them navigate the world of materials and sustainability. ”
Craftmanship and sustainable materials in offices
So how do you see the hand crafted in relation to say industrial production? How do you see the relationship between the two because there's the sort of the imperfections on the one side, that kind of Wabi Sabi thing. Then in some contexts, and you mentioned offices - they are typically prefer almost an industrial approach to the furniture and the finishes. So how do you balance those two?
Matter Of Stuff
We wrote a manifesto about perfection, debunking the myth of imperfection, really, because we believe that in crafts as opposed to industrial production, imperfection is a symbol of craft ands add value, there are two way of manufacturing items one is producing at a large scale in a line.
What we value is the handcrafted. And so often, like small scale businesses, which are very dedicated to really high quality, however, there is a there is a little thing about the the mentality, the making by hand that goes and add a little detail, and every item makes every item you need. And that's what we value most.
Carbon footprint for furniture
How do you manage your own carbon footprint for the furniture projects that you're involved in?
Matter Of Stuff
Yeah, so for basically for every piece of furniture that we sell, we deal with, there is a little code a little number that assigns a carbon footprint of every object and when we add up in a schedule all those numbers then we come up with a total quantity of carbon footprint emitted and then we try to offset it by partnering up with the Tree For Life - a charity set up in Scotland, the first place on earth to declare a climate emergency actually.
“I think of carbon offsets as the last resort for companies trying to make a difference; everybody should do it if possible but getting to the root of the problem requires researching materials that can transform the building and construction industry, such as recycled materials, mycelium and so on. ”
There are there are many ways potentially to influence the market to change and one is triggering thoughts and reflection and topics of furniture to interior design to the actual construction. Like we can do bricks in virgin material or we can break down an existing building and rebuild it from the materials that are actually used in the demolition process.
We also need to start thinking about localizing production. So bringing manufacturing closer to the construction site. What I mean by this is, for example, we work with recycled plastic - a super interesting concept and idea. However, if it is shipped from Italy, let's say to Los Angeles in California, then it doesn't really become sustainable.
A Life Cycle Analysis of Materials
So on one level, we have recycled materials but we also have to think about where that material is produced and the distance that it travels to get to the site.
Matter Of Stuff
Yeah, and the final thing that you need to add to that is also the life cycle of our materials. So once you finish the project, you're not done at all, you have all these new life of materials that need to be repurposed from the building that you have completed. And as that is long life cycle.
So it is about adding a third element to sustainability thought, which is, how can I then reuse this material that I've used in my project in another project, and so on creating a circular process of reusing all your waste, because at the end of the day, we don't have only a problem of resources, we only have a problem as a massive amount of waste we are generating. So by kind of shifting the thoughts on these three topics, you can really make the massive differences.
healthy materials - ceramics
If we then go one level deeper and start looking at some of the materials… let’s start with ceramics, you've got some really interesting ceramic tiles, including some that have industrial waste made of iron and manganese and metal? How do you communicate those to a potential client in terms of why you would use certain types of ceramics over others?
Matter Of Stuff
Ceramic is a very exciting material. I think, because it's been used for centuries, we have so much knowledge gathered around it. And really, I think what we have tried to convey in our selection of ceramics is mainly How can we do it in a more sustainable way so that the impact of an oven at 1200 degrees doesn't become a problem in terms of carbon emissions.
We actually selected mainly companies and independents that are trying to use ceramic in an interesting way. So the first thing is, we don't have our range or set of ceramic tiles, we only make them bespoke to the needs of a client. But we are producing only on demand, which is a massive shift to how ceramic is conceived.
This means we don't create waste because we obviously don't produce more than what is demanded. We only turn on the oven when it's necessary, which is another point. And then I think there is a really interesting thing because ceramic is made out of iron sand sort of glazing that it's mostly having chemical reaction in the oven.
And by actually trying to recycle metal waste we are regenerating those materials that are polluting the environment into a product that can have beautiful color as a normal glazing by reusing something that would be otherwise poisoning landfills. We try to really guide our client and architect to understand what they're purchasing and only purchasing what is necessary.
Non-toxic materials for improved air quality
Okay, so the recycled content is the pigment in the glaze on top of the tile that contains these recycled components but you also mentioned there's some toxic elements potentially in other types of ceramic tiles? The ceramic tile unglazed is a healthy material but it is the glaze we have to careful of is that it?
Matter Of Stuff
Yeah, so I mean, in general, when you create tiles, you are having a body of clay that needs to be skipped, let's call it and you put it into the oven, and you fire it, and this is unglazed. And then we use glass and metal particles and pigments to create the beautiful coloring of the surface of the time.
Obviously, there are chemicals in that process that are not natural, that could actually be poisoning. And obviously we try to avoid those and try to only use things that are, you know, potentially natural source of coloring. Obviously, by using some of these iron and manganese and other metals that were left in the, in the landfills, we are offsetting the pollution that they will generate and instead creating a beautiful coloured glaze.
the healing power of clay
Do you see that as almost part of one healthy material family then as you also supply clay plasters and paints, all offering a connection to one of our most ancient building materials.
Matter Of Stuff
Yeah, clay and earth is one of the oldest material humans have used. I think the main difference with clay plaster and paints is that you're actually using the clay unfired so you're not turning on an oven, you are mixing it with different types of pigments or silica, and things that can create really beautiful coloring, and then you're just plastering walls with it.
What is also quite important is that clay has incredible properties is actually a healing material. We use it, you know, as a face mask, we use it as well to cure our aching joints when they are a bit stiff. So clay has this really strong natural power of healing. And by using it as a natural product on your walls, you're creating a surface that is hypoallergenic, but has also ability to regulate humidity inside a room, which is something that is very important for the health of of, you know, of as human in cylinder.
materials that are both green and healthy
You're describing these materials both in terms of people and planet, both the healthy and the environmentally friendly. So balancing the two in terms of the impact the material has on the planet, but also on the potentially positive impact that can have on on the health of the people spending time in that space. What about mycelium in that sense, it is a new material that's suddenly getting talked about so much. What is its potential?
Matter Of Stuff
Yeah, I mean, it's biophilic Design, I mean, it comes, there's something interesting in designing with a living material, right? We can plan the outcome and we can kind of control it in a way that it comes to a desired form or shape or certain performances.
What's great about mycelium is that it's a fungus, and it grows by eating some kind of organic matter. And then what we can do, we can stop the growth of the material once it's rich, the shape and the performances that we want. And we can kind of see it in a way that it stops growing and it stops it starts actually performing.
But after its lifecycle as a building material, for example, if an office needs to be taken down in 10 years time, then the acoustic panel that is composed of mycelium can be taken out of the wall and thrown in compost and actually it biodegrade with nature.
I think that's something completely beautiful and and it's new Of course it's there's so much of this research that it's has been gone through I think as a consequence of the Greta Thunberg movement you know a couple of years ago people are getting a lot more like aware and I think governments are investing a lot more into funding and subsidizing also research and design and new manufacturing processes that are you know, innovative and have you know, something something new to give to to kind of the construction industry I think that's great and it's it's the only way forward in a way
opportunities for recycled glass in wellbeing interiors
You also have a range of glass products and recycled glass in particular such as recycled glass panels made in the UK 100%. So it's taking the sort of the local box if you had a local project in in London or the UK, right?
Matter Of Stuff
So recycled glass, it's an amazing opportunity for all of us because glass, again, is one of the oldest material humans work with. Most of our recycled glass are taking shape into a pixel that could be repeated, either creating chandeliers or creating new wall systems with other materials, as well as the recycled glass which becomes actually an incredible tool to control acoustic performances into a room.
So by changing completely the composition, this creates material that is almost like a pumice stone type of thing. So it's very light, very porous, and can actually trap Sound waves inside in a very special way. So we simply use glass as a new material. But in a way, we can recycle it infinitely because it's only about you know, melting again the glass and so to keep on adding on it.
Also what is quite interesting about being very local is that you use the glass, the type of glass you have very close to you. So you control the quality of the glass and the colors. And therefore you can start creating patterns and so the composition that you know, are controllable and predictable.
We have also created recycled glass reception desk, or even tables, which is quite it's quite interesting and exciting, but we mostly work with designers who are private client they want to are interested in the material and then we come up with a beautiful design for it.
Cork walls as a sustainable design feature
Okay, so we have a couple of alternative options for acoustic panels. With the mycelium and the recycled glass. The recycled glass can also be almost kind of like decorative panels, but in the mycelium, I noticed can also be a type of floor tile. Talking about the walls I noticed you've also recently started working with Portuguese cork wool supplier, corks that some of the finishes there and that the designs that they have are really amazing. It's not what you would expect from a piece of cork, right?
Matter Of Stuff
Well, I mean, I think the main purpose of design is to innovate and make a material look new and interesting. So what Gencork has developed with cork is I think the ultimate design plus onto a material that has been seen and kind of used a lot.
So it's quite interesting to work with a Portuguese company because with cork because they are the biggest, you know, biggest premier production of cork in all Europe. And the trees are protected so they can only aravis cork in specific way and they need to ask permission to the government to actually you know, pick up the bark and produce it.
So it's very controlled process. And this is because they don't want to arm ever the plant. Also, by using cork we are using something that is completely renewable because it's only the skin The auditory, and therefore it can be constantly growth.
So it's harvest every normally six years, leaving the tree the time to regenerate. Expanded cork is produced differently from normal cork, we use high steam, and these makes the cork pop like popcorn and expand. And he kind of binds the material together with the rising of the trees instead of using a lot of other products or glue or epoxy resins.
So this means again, our cork panels are 100%, biodegradable and organic and they could be re cycled in a new pond. And I feel cork is like us for insulation of solids and many other purposes, but has never been pushed into a beautiful material that can be actually a facade or an interior cladding.
So the main purpose of this panel is generating a new aesthetic, a new three dimensional surface. And almost they can be carved as as a piece of marble really. So not only becoming a wall, but they could potentially be used even to create bespoke furniture or, or reception desk or, you know, seamless moving from a floor to a wall to a ceiling panel, which is quite exciting. I think for designers out there.
sustainable materials made from seashell waste
And finally, then I wanted to ask you about the recycled system to read so that you have because it just seems to have this beautiful story about the tons and tons of discarded seashells is that from the from the from the from the seafood industry?
Matter Of Stuff
Yes, we basically it's a project developed by two designers studied in London, it's a very exciting project where they actually started looking at how the seafood industry is kind of, you know, dumping a lot of these really beautiful material, because it's actually calcium carbonate. And we normally feed these into our production by, you know, kind of like seeking it.
While we are done throwing it away and sort of creating a lot of waste. So by reusing it and creating a composite that is kind of natural, they are generating a new type of concrete, they were actually asking a point to try and make the structural to really replace concrete entirely.
And it's quite interesting how much attic theory is behind this product, because the designer actually don't want this because as soon as you start trying to give more performance in terms of strength, they will have to add heat to the to the production.
And these would take away these completely non toxic completely like low carbon emission material, which I find very interesting because in a way, all our work revolves around one single tote, which is how can we make these material cheap enough and sustainable enough to replace technical materials that we are using.
So if we are able to make mycelium are really strong compared competitor to polyrattan, for example, or to or to a really terrible acoustic panel made out of synthetic fibers, we are really shifting the industry and we are not anymore forcing people to say oh, I need to spend so much more money to use these really sustainable material that is then maybe not behaving as I want.
We the real change and real shift into the industry could happen only if we make this product really permeable and easy to use. So ultimately, I think all our work revolves around trying to keep fanatic around what what is material do and try and really to push them to behave in a way that can replace those terrible materials that we are working with now.
And I mean, one thing that I think it's important to ensure we have only talked about surface material, which are only probably 10 or 15% of what is used in the industry. But we are working a lot on the vaccines to try and also scout for those materials that could really replace the larger quantity.
So how can we do an MDF that is more sustainable? Or it's completely recyclable? Or how can we replace entirely bricks with a new concept that doesn't allow doesn't require so much firing? So I think it's an interesting open quest, you know, and we all need to sort of exchange information and and knowledge and so that's why I think it's lovely what you're doing with this podcast, like trying to engage people to discover each other and hopefully, you know, this can lead to, to more knowledge shared among people in industry.
Healthy materials advisory
Are you advising construction companies? Are you collaborating with architects? How perhaps the range of different clients if you could describe those and how you're delivering your services effectively?
Matter Of Stuff
Yeah, so we, we work with both architects, interior designers, and of course, artists interior designer at the change maker, the are the main specifiers. And we've worked with contractors before, we've worked with directly with co-working spaces that have different locations in in London, supplying furniture.
And of course, there's a huge level of research that goes through and, for example, for furniture as well, like we've recently introduced a way to browse furniture on our website by sustainable properties, say let's furniture have, you know, certified wood or if they're made out of recycled material, if they are recyclable.
And that's, that's all research that we do. And it's kind of a service of the people that, you know, we work with, in a way. We believe in kind of free content, kind of sharing as much as possible.
Of course, London is quite a wild industry, but we're quite generous with our research. And, and yeah, so it's a we're open to new collaboration, we're open to private clients, as well as, you know, construction companies. And we welcome all kind of enquiries.
https://www.matterofstuff.com/