Slag Blocks
Casting molten smelter slag into large self-annealing blocks, turning a mining waste into a building material.
Material science research
Our sister company, founded in 2014, runs applied research into building materials.
Turning waste and simple materials into structure.
We look for uses for wasted or overlooked materials, and ways to build complex forms from simple ones.
- Slag blocks. With Vale in Sudbury, we cast molten smelter slag into large blocks that anneal into stone as they cool, turning a mining liability into a building material. Ongoing since 2011.
- Formid. A made-to-measure seat folded from paper substrates, with embedded sensors. Two US patents (10,368,650 and 11,432,656), research with Western University, Laurentian University and FPInnovations.
- Cascading Biospheres. An ultra-high-performance concrete living wall that won the 2011 Ductal reactive wall competition.
Funding and support have come from Mitacs, NOHFC, FPInnovations, Norcat, Domtar, Vale and the RAIC. We prototype in house with 3D printers and a laser cutter.
Research projects
Formid
A made-to-measure active seat folded from paper substrates, generated from body measurements and protected by two US patents.
Cascading Biospheres
An ultra-high-performance concrete living-wall prototype that won the 2011 Ductal reactive wall competition.
Slag Art Gallery
A master's thesis for a downtown Sudbury gallery built from cast slag, the local smelting by-product.