- Designer : Open Structures & Jeroen Wand
- Client : Nieuwe Instituut
Nieuwe Instituut Rotterdam commissioned OpenStructures for an adaptable interior design of their New Store initiative. Based on our design for the previous edition of New Store 1.0 the existing elements were reused and adapted to fit an experimental hairdresser’s saloon. In collaboration with Studio Jeroen Wand, the former shop elements were adapted and complemented with parts by Grond Studio and transformed into an illuminated mirror and several display cabinets.With the New Store 2.0, which was presented at Milan Design Week 2024, Nieuwe Instituut imagined a store where shopping helps the environment instead of harming it. In this second iteration of the experimental pop-up shop, located at socio-cultural centre Stecca 3, Nieuwe Instituut tested once again alternative forms of exchange. Can a store help our planet to sustain life, instead of just consuming natural resources? Can shopping ever contribute to the regeneration of the living world? Nieuwe Instituut’s New Store 2.0 investigates a new value economy, another step towards such a regenerative scenario. Later this year The New Store will find a permanent place at Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam.Photos: Cristiano Corte & Giulia Virgara Graphic design: Cengiz Mengüç Exhibition consultant: Frank Verkade
- Designer : GROND STUDIO
- Location : BRUSSELS
- Dimensions : 425 cm x 20/63 cm
Introducing the Catena Table Series: A Celebration of Natural Craftsmanship The Catena Table - T01 - is more than just furniture. it's a narrative of landscape and sustainability. Crafted near Brussels, each table is a unique masterpiece that captures the essence of its local environment1.Fallen beach trees and regional earth form the foundation of each piece No two tables are identical, preserving the natural grain and texture of wood Honoring nature through mindful material selection and designThis inaugural table T01 represents the beginning of a diverse series, promising future iterations in different colors and expressions. By intertwining raw earth and wooden slabs, the Catena Table transforms local materials into functional art that connects spaces with their natural origins.Meticulously selected wood from fallen beach treesEach Catena Table is not just a piece of furniture, but a testament to the profound connection between design, landscape, and sustainability.
- Edition : Colonial warriors
Baptist beckons you to pause and take a seat, if only for a fleeting moment. It encourages a brief interlude of reflection and a stolen moment of daydreaming. With its low, grounded design, Baptist offers an invitation to discover a new perspective.These vibrant stools are more than just functional furniture; they’re part of an art project that explores our colonial history and the ongoing implications of object ownership. Crafted from natural materials, each stool is a modern replica of the original wooden pieces made by our great-grandfather, who traded them in African markets.By using casting techniques, we’re not only replicating these historical items but also reimagining their essence. This collection invites you to sit down and take a fresh look at the world around you, encouraging reflection on both personal and societal values that we often overlook.Every day, millions of people create objects that hold stories and meanings. Our project honors this creativity while reminding us that our colonial history is not just a thing of the past; its effects continue to shape our present. We hope these stools will inspire you to appreciate the artistry, history, and ongoing relevance behind everyday objects.Baptist is part of the ungoing project of colonial warriors ...
- Edition : raw earth block
- Dimensions : 24 cm x 14 cm
Catena is a chain of 4 geometrical structures in rammed earth. Connected by a pin, the structures form a modular series that can be shaped and reshaped into an abstract totem or functional elements. By designing sober geometrical structures, Grond wants to give full exposure to the rammed earth, its texture, its density, its granularity.Besides an object that you can feel, lift up, shape and reshape, Catena wants you to reconnect with earth. As such, building a Catena is a kind of touch base with the forgotten earthen material, symbolizing the potential of raw earth - - not as a substitute but as a powerful, healthy and extremely ecological alternative for contemporary design.Catena follows the OpenStructures Design Principles of circularity and modularity and is a happy part of the OpenStructures_Grid.For all enquiries: eb.oi1737268412duts-1737268412dnorg1737268412@ofni1737268412
- Elise Eeraerts (BE) in collaboration with Grond Studio
Possible Patterns is a spatial intervention by artist Elise Eeraerts (BE) in collaboration with Grond Studio. It is comprised of modular elements. They make up a large volume that emerges as a fragment of built space. The modular elements are made out of rammed earth.There are 5 different shapes that function intermodularly as a group. Among these, some establish a scaled up/down version of themselves. Possible Patterns originates from research into the standardization and customization of shapes, geometry and composition. Through the work’s modularity, a multitude of configurations could be (re)built. Within these modular units an additional experiment is materialized through the creation of openings in the middle. These openings have a visual impact, constituting small windows to look through ‘Possible Patterns’ from different sides. Yet they also bring forward fragility in terms of the material stability of rammed earth. Usually, earth bricks do not contain openings within their own volume. Pushing their distinctive balance to its limit, it challenges and activates the senses and experience of the viewer.
- Client : t'koolhof
- Designer : grond studio
In the heart of t'Koolhof, a dream unfolds beneath your feet. Grond Studio has crafted an earthen floor that whispers tales of nature's embrace1. This raw yet refined surface invites you to connect with the very essence of the earth, while modern comforts like underfloor heating ensure a cozy sanctuary1.As you walk across this masterpiece, your senses are awakened to the gentle textures and subtle hues that only raw earth can provide1. The floor, a canvas of organic beauty, seamlessly blends the rugged charm of natural materials with the softness required for comfortable living1. Grond Studio's expertise in working with raw earth has transformed this space into a haven where contemporary aesthetics meet age-old techniques1.The result is a floor that not only grounds you but elevates your living experience, creating a harmonious dialogue between human habitation and the natural world1.This earthen floor in t'Koolhof stands as a testament to sustainable luxury, where every step is a reminder of our connection to the earth, and every moment spent upon it is a journey into a world where dreams and reality intertwine.Material production; BC Materials Pictures; jasper van der linden
- Earth bricks, rammed earth, clay plaster
- Architects : Nicolas Godelet architects and engineers
- Client : BEL Expo, Belgian Government
- Location : Almere, Netherlands
This massive project contains over 65 tons of earth which forms the basic structure of the Regenerative Garden, a winning design by Nicolas Godelet for the Belgian Pavilion at Floriade 2022. Grond used Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB) to build the walls, sculpted a crazy-looking clay plaster and compressed a rammed earth floor -- all for outside use! The Regenerative Garden is a geometrical and natural project that reflects Belgian gardens. The pavilion’s architecture is designed to minimise its environmental impact. Each material chosen is fully reusable or degradable, low-carbon and natural like raw earth, wood, hemp, naturally compostable bioplastic. All these materials will be reused or recycled at the end of the exhibition.
- Edition : raw earth block
- Dimensions : diameter 28,5 cm
OSCILATOR is a spatial installation for the Milan Design Week 2022, oscillating between sculpture and utility object. It is comprised of stackable elements made of rammed earth, designed to create your own endless utility sculpture: stool, bench, table, ...Blurring the lines between sculpture and functional design ...Designer: pieter van bruyssel & thomas eggermont
- 30 m2
- Rammed earth floor
- Designer : Lionel Jadot
- Location : Brussels, Belgium
Rammed earth floors give an extreme quality to a room because of its natural feel and warmth. Although the installation of the floor can be technically challenging, the result is extraordinary.In this project in the centre of Brussels, Grond compacted raw earth into a rammed earth floor of 9cm thick.
- 250 m2
- Clay plaster
- Architects : BC architects
- Location : Brussels, Belgium
This project shows why you should not be afraid to choose the dark side of the colour spectrum. Dark red clay plaster, echoing the colour of soil, has been applied on the walls in the entire house. The result is a place full of depth, warmth and coziness, without being oppressive.
- Architects : A2M
- Designer : Atelier Lionel Jadot
- Location : Lisbon, Portugal
- Client : Jam Hotel
TERRACOTTA TILESGrond designed 5 different tiles and created a grid-like structure to decorate the hotel lobby. The tiles are hand-crafted using the clay extrusion process: the clay is pushed through holes in metal plates which form the pattern of the tiles. The long line of patterned clay is then cut into the different tiles. After the extrusion process, the clay is fired and cooled down slowly. The result is a textured tile, not glossy or shiny, in typical terracotta red. Design, production & installation in collaboration with Thomas Eggermont.EARTH BRICKSWhereas the terracotta tiles in the lobby are fired, the bricks at the hotel entrance are completely made out of raw earth, i.e. no processing, no firing involved. The bricks serve as sculptural blinds, marking the hotel entrance from the street. Extreme compression gives these rammed earth bricks their density and strength. To create a somewhat lighter texture and a more brown-red colour, we added cork and wood shaving to the earthen mix.MINERAL PLASTERINGFor the patio outside the hotel entrance, Grond applied a terracotta colour lime plaster on the benches and tables. The design and colour add a hacienda-style vibe to the patio, using an eco-friendly plaster suitable for outdoor use. The lime plaster creates a smooth and silky texture that is completely waterproof. Production & installation in collaboration with HUUS.
- Architects : AST 77
- Client : Commune of Boutersem
- Location : Neervelp, Belgium
As of 2024, the idyllic Sint Remigius church in Neervelp (near Leuven) receives a new destiny as a community centre and sociocultural meeting point by AST77 architects.To make the church accessible for everyone, the step leading to the altar floor is recast as a convex, half-circle floor in rammed earth.A rammed earth floor is always a challenge to install, but this project truly was a technical tour de force because of its convex shape.The floor was sanded for a natural terrazzo-look, polished and protected. An oak board and a brass circle top off the floor.
- 250 m2
- Clay plaster
- Architects : BC architects
- Location : Nieuwpoort, Belgium
This project at the Belgian seaside aimed at bringing the ocean into the space. This has inspired us to investigate the use of materials from the sea as resources for the creation of the walls and ceiling. Tiny shells were mixed in the BC Materials clay plaster. The floor is made by grinding down shells that are locally sourced by the clients before combining them perfect with natural clay plaster. This gives the floor a terrazzo-like aesthetic while the shells add a shimmering effect, that echoes the surface of the sea.
- Client : Atelier Lionel Jadot
- Location : Brussels
- Designer : Grond Studio
For the Timber restaurant, set in the iconic Royale Belge building, Grond created two immense 3D-volumes. Loosely inspired by traditional smokehouses, we developed a special earthen mix with smoked cork, clay, sand and gravel. This mix was sculpted onto two robust but playful volumes. By projecting Krjst Studio’s visuals onto our earthen volumes the restaurant with a smokey twist becomes beautifully unconventional.Grond’s project within Timber was part of the Mix project, a unique collaboration between Atelier Lionel Jadot and all studios of Zaventem Ateliers to give the magnificent Royale Belge building a grand update.Photography: Stan Huaux & Jeremy Marchant
- Client : Ordre des Architects
- Location : Brussels
The choice for clay plaster at the offices of the Ordre des Architectes - advocates for the architecture profession for French-speaking Belgium - was not only an aesthetic choice. Because of its sound absorbing qualities, clay plaster is a well-suited material to make working environments more comfortable. At the same time, the OA deliberately chose an ecological material that fosters circularity and re-use. The clay used in this project is local and comes from Brussel’s excavation sites. Photography: Jasper van der Linden & Coralie Van Pottelsberghe
- Designer : GROND STUDIO
... GROND STUDIO ...2020 ... GROND STUDIO ...molenbeek / a concept / utopia / building / ethics / craftmenschip / LOVE / vernicular / Planet Earth / start / covid / raw earth
- Location : Pajottenland
In a beautiful, green and hilly area West from Brussels, Grond Studio updated a charming farmhouse by removing the old earthen material and replacing it. The original architecture and colours were kept. The farmhouse was built more than 100 years ago with traditional and local materials.Today, this contextual use of materials and methods is referred to as vernacular architecture and moves far away from standardised, uniform and undistinguishable construction materials and techniques where even aspects like local climate, cultural use and geography play a role.
