No Time to Waste

Current Traces #02

7 - 28 February 2025

Studio-Method

With No Time to Waste, OMI brings together three current visions on innovative reuse. When old buildings are demolished and new ones are constructed, materials from the past are often discarded. But what can be made of the pieces left behind? The Rotterdam-based architects Md-2, Stadsgrond and Studio Method showcase how leftover materials can be creatively repurposed. Clay from construction sites as material for new building blocks, surrealistic upcycling of waste materials into new objects or demolition materials as the foundation for spatial and social interventions. How can the innovative ideas of these young designers transform contemporary design and construction practices?

Stadsgrond

Stadsgrond: building with Rotterdam clay
The Dutch construction industry faces numerous challenges, like scarcity of materials and air pollution. Conventional building methods are hardly circular, and due to the nitrogen crisis many projects are on hold. By utilizing leftover clay as a local sustainable building material, architect Georges Taminiau of Stadsgrond aims to provide a solution to these problems. Not only can this material replace concrete and brick, they are also locally produced by harvesting materials within the city. The exhibition will showcase the product’s diverse applications, like building blocks and rammed earth. These alternative building materials are made together with newcomers in Rotterdam. This way, Stadsgrond addresses the urgent need for sustainable building practices while simultaneously creating opportunities for newcomers in the Dutch labor market.

Md-2 architects

Md-2 architects: surrealistic upcycling of waste materials
For the design duo Md-2 architects (Michał Długajczyk and Mahaut Dael) the continuous changes in Rotterdam offer opportunities in the fields of sustainability and identity. Their research Description by Design is inspired by the surrealistic collaging techniques of visual artist Jiří Kolář. Demolition materials are taken apart, sliced, crushed and crumpled into smaller pieces which are then are assembled, mixed and upgraded into completely new forms. This process not only creates a new material, but also offers a fresh perspective on the original project. Leftover PVC pipes, abandoned household appliances and broken bricks: Md-2 architects’ designs demonstrate how materials from demolished buildings can be creatively and intelligently upcycled and reused.

Studio-Method

Studio-Method: sustainable design for the future
The research-based Design and Architecture practice Studio-Method (Riel Bessai, Pedro Daniel Pantaleone and Anna Sujkowska) explores alternative visions for the future with objects, spaces and human-scale architecture that foster the collective wellbeing of communities and ecosystems. In response to the urgent environmental crises, they approach a sustainable built environment not only as a technical challenge. They also connect sustainability to new working methodes, where reuse represents fundamental changes in social and economic relationships. This approach calls for a local perspective on design and construction practices, bringing people together and embracing collective improvisation.

Studio-Method

Architects & designers:

Georges Taminiau (Stadsgrond); Michał Długajczyk en Mahaut Dael (Md-2 architects); Riel Bessai, Pedro Daniel Pantaleone and Anna Sujkowska (Studio-Method)

Curation & design:

Team OMI | Leyla Hepsaydir, Pieter Kuster & Emine Yilmazgil

Texts:

Vivian Beekman