Made of London: Rubblazzo terrazzo is salvaged from demolished buildings

Rubblazzo ‘Made of London’ is a new bespoke terrazzo made using recycled London rubble set within an ultra-low carbon alternative to traditional cement. A collaboration between terrazzo specialist Diespeker & Co and garden designer Tom Massey, Rubblazzo was created for use as both an interior and exterior surface material.

The origin of terrazzo has its roots in sustainability, with the modern-day concept thought to have originated in Italy, using chips from marble slabs to create flooring. Rubblazzo takes the concept of terrazzo back to these humble roots; making use of rubble generated by construction work in London – the aggregate used within the mix is therefore kept out of landfill and instead repurposed as an impactful feature material.

The idea for the new material was conceived when garden designer Tom Massey was commissioned to work on the garden at the London home of Diespeker MD, John Krause. Discussion turned (none surprisingly) to terrazzo and sustainability, and the concept of reusing London rubble, which is in plentiful supply. This was a more challenging concept than it sounds – reclaimed rubble is a less stable material than the marble or granite aggregate traditionally used in terrazzo and can potentially create a dull finish. After many tests, construction rubble was carefully washed, crushed and bound together using a specialist bespoke binder that saves up to 85% in embodied CO2 compared to a conventional product.

The final look of each Rubblazzo mix will always be unique, as it depends entirely on the what’s included in the aggregate. Certain adjustments can be made; for example the base mix can be dyed during the manufacturing process to match with a design scheme. Whether it is dyed or left uncoloured, the material won’t discolour with exposure to UV rays.