Eco, Aha!: Terrazzo Made from Wood Waste for Counters, Floors, and More
Terrazzo, the speckled, indestructible flooring of airports and old apartment lobbies, is a creative reuse star: it was developed in the 15th century by Venetian marble workers who embedded stone remnants in clay to pave terraces—hence terrazzo. In 20th century America, the finish was made of stone chips and cement polished with an electric grinder—look down at Radio City Music Hall, the Washington Monument, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In recent years, epoxy and polyacrylic binders came in, making the material more versatile and popular again—if less environmentally friendly.
We recently featured a West London kitchen–see Party in the Back—that opened our eyes to a sustainable, newish terrazzo spinoff composed of wood scraps bound in bio-based resin. Two UK companies currently offer what one calls Timber Terrazzo and the other TreeAzzo. Made by hand for use as counters, backsplashes, and flooring, they’re available in a wide range of colors, all durable, scratch-resistant, and patterned in a confetti of wood castoffs.
Above: The kitchen island at Evo Hotel Hakuba in Nagano, Japan, is finished in Timber Terrazzo made in Birmingham, England, by Foresso, also known as Low Carbon Industrial, a company with a mission to “find remarkable uses for reclaimed materials.”
Above: Timber Terrazzo in Pewter Oak features end-grain wood chips. The offcuts are collected from non-commercial tree removal companies, sawmills, and other small UK businesses. The zer0-VOC resin is composed of 85 percent recycled materials: a mix of sawdust from furniture manufacturers and mineral powders from plaster waste.
Above: Timber Terrazzo is available in a range of waste woods and binder colors. This one is Blush London Plane. The composite material is made in three panel sizes with plywood substrates starting at 2,440-by-1220-millimeters (approximately 8-by-4-feet) for $2,135: like all terrazzo, it’s labor-intensive to make and pricey.
No two sheets of wood terrazzo are exactly alike. After the resin and wood are mixed, they’re left to cure then sanded to expose the wood, polished, and finished with a food-safe, natural hard wax oil or lacquered for use in high-traffic area. Unlike stone-based terrazzo, wood terrazzo can be drilled or cut to size with wood-working tools. Foresso uses a CNC machine to make tongue-and-groove flooring and wall paneling.
Above: TreeAzzo from flooring company Havwoods feature a mix of wood chips, including walnut, oak, ash, and pine with a lacquered finish and is made to order in the sample shades or any “suitable RAL color.” Havwoods describes TreeAzzo as “a sustainable, FSC-certified, environmentally friendly, resin-bound wood chip surface handmade in Europe from high-quality, eco-friendly resin mixed with wood chip wastage from the woodworking industry.”
It comes with a backing of plywood or fiber cement (for use as floor or wall tiles); pricing on request. Havwoods is UK-based but available in the US and has an open-to-the-public NYC showroom at 151 West 18th Street.
Above: TreeAzzo tabletops are available pre-cut in round and square sizes. This one is in Raspberry.
Above: The mission at Materia Madura is to “lead the way in sustainable design by developing cutting-edge solutions that transform waste into purposeful alternatives.” Shown here, L to R, are some of its samples: wood fibers and coffee waste terrazzo; wood fibers and mahogany waste terrazzo; glass waste; and mahogany and glass waste.
Based in Río Piedras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, the design studio is led by Ana Cristina Quiñones who is currently “on a pause with a purpose”: she recently had a baby.
Above: DIYers alert: Foresso sells Timber Terrazzo offcuts—leftovers priced at 45 percent less than retail that are perfect for small projects.
For much more information on eco-friendly living and resources, have a look at our book Remodelista: The Low-Impact Home. Also see:
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