Geo Slate

Long description

Slate Roof tiles have been used for centuries to cover historical monuments, churches, and castles in the Netherlands. It has great features such as water resistance and durability and can last several hundred years, often with little or no maintenance. But due to today, major quarries of Slatestone in Europe have been closed. The production process is very unsustainable as from 100% of quarried raw material only 3% result in the actual product on the market. For this research project, Studio Mixtura tested advanced techniques to create a sustainable modular alternative for Slatestone tiles to cover complex roofs and facades. The new material for the tiles is based on waste streams of slate stones and other mineral residues sourced in the Netherlands and UK. Waste streams of Slate appear in the quarry itself after the stones have been split and cut. The production requires the presence of water to settle the powder dust in the air. A combination of dust and water result in sludge waste which is collecting in the filters. Annually these waste streams compose 600.000 tones per quarry. Together with several partners, Studio Mixtura is exploring different contemporary prototyping techniques to show the potential of the new material and modular tile system.

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