The London Design Studio Making The Most Of Marble Waste – Forbes

Whilst the extraction of marble itself is fraught with its own environmental issues, one studio is looking to ensure each and every slab is being used to its full potential. Salvaging off-cuts, discarded and imperfect slabs from construction sites, factories and homes around London, Marble.Partners are bringing a circular mindset to an industry where waste has previously been left unused.

Marble mining can be very damaging to its surrounding environment often causing an extensive accumulation of Calcium and Magnesium compounds in the soils, sediments, water and vegetations within the area as well as being a non-renewable resource. However, while it is still being utilised within interior design and construction, it is important to ensure we are getting the most usage from each slab reducing the need as much as possible for new marble.

Sculpture pieces by Marble.Partners who salvage off-cuts from construction sites and factories ... [+] around London.

Celebrating imperfections as part of the story from each piece, they bring together a patchwork design to tabletops, art pieces and sculptural forms. Founded in 2018 by partners Mia Castenskjold and Stefan Zschernitz and their co-founder, sculptor Klaus Weiskopf, the team were driven by a personal endeavour when looking for a dining table for their own home. They realised large marble tables were extremely expensive and the cost of moving them between locations was often a logistical nightmare.

Klaus Weiskopf, Stefan Zschernitz and Mia Castenskjold - founders of Marble.Partners.

After researching into the industry further and witnessing the waste from each factory they came into contact with, they realised improvements needed to be made. Each piece they create is designed with functionality in mind and tabletops are split into modular sections to ensure transportation is as convenient as possible.

With a long-term desire to work with quarries at source, where most of the wastage occurs, the studio decided to start in London focusing on the waste they could get their hands on easily. Building direct relationships with nearby factories, they began creating a range of show-stopping designs with a signature patchwork aesthetic made up of various off-cuts.

Modular candlesticks and vases are created with the off-cuts from their own studio too.

Giving each slab they find a new lease of life, regardless of its condition, Castenskjold states they like to celebrate the diversity found in the varieties of marble used. With Weiskopf bringing his talent to the workshop, they also create sculptural art pieces alongside the furniture designs. Over the past year the team have put a huge effort to ensure their own production produces as minimal waste as possible. Their own offcuts are hand-crafted into bespoke candlesticks and vases as well as looking into ways to reintroduce the marble dust into the production cycle. This mindset is allowing them to think outside the box and brings a fresh perspective to the industry, which others need to take note of.

Their signature patchwork aesthetic celebrates the diversity and imperfections found in different ... [+] varieties of the salvaged stone.

Looking forward further into 2020, Castenskjold is excited about what the future holds. Disrupting an age-old industry is a challenge, when altering mindsets steeped in tradition, but they are positive that change can take place. 2019 was spent on investigating, prototyping and identifying where we can make a difference. states Castenskjold, This year we are launching our first functional art exhibition in March, so we are currently deep in production. At the end of last year, the studio completed a prototype of a chair for client which encouraged their bigger mission to create functional art pieces. We didnt envision the chair to be particularly comfortable, Castenskjold continues, but it actually turned out to be a lot more functional than we had predicted.

This functional art piece was created by the studio for a client last year.

While sustainability is strong part of their ethos, the team explain how they want to remain known for the beautiful work they create with the focus on reducing waste being an inherent function of the studio. They are extremely conscious to ensure each aspect of the business represents their values and they have been working closely with a hemp farm (Margent Farm) to develop packaging using the natural material. While still early in the development stages, the team say the journey has been very inspiring so far with a strong desire to set new boundaries within the furniture logistics sector.

The team's meticulous attention to detail ensures each off-cut stands out but complements those ... [+] around, creating a narrative which users can connect with.

The merging of sustainability as an inherent mindset within the brand, with the aesthetic of each piece taking centre stage, is key for designers who want to succeed. Producing an end result for clients which is of incomparable beauty and quality ensures the desire for each piece is maintained, while the conscious production of it underlies each design as a crucial but subliminal message.

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The London Design Studio Making The Most Of Marble Waste - Forbes