Selecting materials for a circular future

To mark Recycle Week, Foster + Partners is spotlighting the work of its Materials Research Centre.

Material selection is an integral part of architectural design, and the MRC is the in-house team that facilitates the decision-making process. By centralising knowledge of materials and products, the team ensure that the practice’s projects benefit from the most innovative materials and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes. They evaluate sustainability, decarbonisation, technical performance, and certification to ensure the most appropriate materials are selected.

Materials Research Centre Brick Exhibition at Open House 2023

The team is also investigating how we might recognise our buildings as future material banks, so that these resources can be used again at the end of their lifespans. This would enable circular value chains and minimise the amount of waste going to landfill.

Divya Patel Orbesen, Senior Partner and Head of the MRC, said: “The practice has always had a strong sustainability agenda, and in terms of materiality it’s about using only what is required and nothing more. Materials are a precious resource and should always be used efficiently and effectively. We’ve also undertaken a lot of research into how buildings can be disassembled and what can be done with the components in terms of reuse, upcycling and recycling.”

The material selection process is aided by the practice’s own materials library, which is home to over 25,000 material and product samples, including innovations that are set to transform the industry. These include materials made from construction and demolition waste, low carbon glass, and promising advancements in calcined clay cement.

Learn more about a selection of our projects, which incorporate recycled materials or circular design strategies.

Ombú, Madrid

The transformative office building was built for the Spanish infrastructure and energy company ACCIONA. Originally built in 1905 by the architect Luis de Landecho, the building once supplied energy to the surrounding areas. It later fell into disuse until ACCIONA saved it from demolition. The historic building envelope has been retained to conserve over 10,000 tonnes of original brick and mitigate the environmental impact.

The lightweight structure inserted inside the space is made from sustainably sourced timber from local forests and allows for spatial flexibility, while also integrating lighting, ventilation and other services. The timber structure will save more than 1,600 tonnes of CO2 and is demountable and recyclable.

The lightweight structure inserted inside the space is made from sustainably sourced timber from local forests. © Rubén P. Bescós

Detail of the timber joinery. The structure will save more than 1,600 tonnes of CO2 and is recyclable and demountable. © Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

The timber columns being fabricated off-site. © XLAM DOLOMITTI

Sustainably sourced timber used at Ombu.

The historic building envelope has been retained to conserve over 10,000 tonnes of original brick and mitigate the environmental impact. © Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

Gabriela Hearst Flagship, London

The designer’s first London store is a retrofit project, underpinned by a sustainable ethos and care for the environment in its materiality. The material palette throughout the store comprises sustainably sourced or recycled elements and avoids the use of harmful chemicals in their production. The reclaimed oakwood floor was sourced from military barracks in Shropshire and the fabric wall panelling is made from linen, which is low in embodied energy.

Furniture fabrication process at the Benchmark factory. The furniture – manufactured by Benchmark – is made from London Plane timber sourced from a tree that fell during a storm in Lincoln. © Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

The furniture – manufactured by Benchmark – is made from London Plane timber sourced from a tree that fell during a storm in Lincoln. © Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

The materials palette throughout the store comprises sustainably sourced or recycled elements and avoids the use of harmful chemicals in their production. The reclaimed oakwood floor was sourced from military barracks in Shropshire and the fabric wall panelling is made from linen, which is low in embodied energy. © Nigel Young / Foster + Partners

270 Park Avenue, New York

Set to be the new state-of-the-art global headquarters for JPMorgan Chase, the 1,388-foot (423 meter), 60-story skyscraper will be New York City’s largest all-electric tower. The project recycled, reused or upcycled 97% of the building materials from the demolition – far exceeding the 75% requirement of the leading green building standard.