GRAINS AND GAPS
Industrial processes, especially those centred around construction materials, often yield overlooked byproducts. Mined gravel and sand, an essential component in concrete production, undergo a multifaceted process, one significant phase of which is washing. This step, essential for eliminating the finest grains from the extracted volume, produces secondary materials that are frequently neither fully understood nor effectively employed.
This project delves into an examination of these byproducts, focusing specifically on the Swiss gravel industry, and initiates a discourse on their potential uses, innate properties, and historical contexts. Through a series of crafted objects, Studio Eidola presents an introspective exploration of these often-overlooked materials.
Beyond the tactile, the project provides a breakdown of the gravel extraction and washing process. By deconstructing each step, it offers a comprehensive understanding of the byproducts' genesis. This examination underpins the cyclical dynamics of material use and waste in the industrial context, emphasising the implications of mechanised processes on natural resources.
