STONE, CERAMIC & TERRAZZO
MADE OF LONDON
In a world where so much waste is generated, every day we look for more and more ways of reusing rather than dumping. Rubble from building works is often reused as hardcore – but is there a more aesthetic way of repurposing it? Diespeker has the answer – Rublazzo, a sustainable terrazzo made from rubble.
Terrazzo has been around for hundreds of years. A mix of aggregate, usually marble, set into cement or resin, it’s said to have been the brainchild of Italian quarrymen who used offcuts of marble to make cheap flooring. The association with those quarrymen has been used – or perhaps abused – to suggest that terrazzo is an ‘eco’ surface as it reuses discarded chunks of marble. But in reality, most of the time these chunks have been crushed especially and the binding the marble is set into isn’t particularly eco-friendly.
So how about a terrazzo that really does deserve to be called sustainable? The question was debated by natural stone and terrazzo specialist Diespeker & Co MD John Krause and award- winning garden designer Tom Massey who met when John was looking for creative input for his own garden. Their discussions led to the idea for a brand-new terrazzo material that really does tick the green boxes. Called Rubblazzo, it’s a uniquely eco-friendly material that uses waste stone materials.
Formulating a practical method of making the material was an exhaustive process; it wasn’t a case of simply adding old bits of stone to the usual resin or cement binder. Waste rubble isn’t necessarily stable and the Diespeker team also had to source and trial a binder with high environmental credentials. Many months of research went into ways of using different types of rubble whilst ensuring the quality of aesthetics and integrity of the material.
An early iteration of Rubblazzo was used to make benches for Lendlease’s ‘mobile’ Orchard in Endeavour Square, Stratford in 2021 and the material also featured as garden slabs in an episode of Your Garden Made Perfect. But it wasn’t until 2023 that the perfect methodology was finessed.
John Krause and Tom Massey decided the time was right to showcase the material in their own projects. Tom utilised Rubblazzo for paving in his showpiece Resilient Garden at the 2023 RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, where he also repurposed other waste products including loose crushed rubble and gravel for the pathways and a windblown tree sawn into a rustic bench.
Meanwhile, John introduced Rubblazzo into his own London garden, a mini showcase for bespoke benches, paving, and an eye-catching water feature all made from this innovative
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material. This unique material has an earthiness that pairs beautifully with natural surroundings.
Rubblazzo ‘Made of London’ uses rubble sourced from development work taking place in the city, which Diespeker sources, washes, and crushes at its Bermondsey factory. And potentially, there’s an option for clients undertaking house or commercial renovations to reuse their own rubble, taking the concept to yet another level. It’s a cool use of waste and adds a personalised element that won’t be replicated elsewhere.
Rubblazzo really does tick the boxes for the three concepts that promote sustainable living; reduce, reuse and recycle. As an option for outdoor surfaces, it brings something new to the table.
www.rubblazzo.com
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