utilising BY-PRODUCT AND WASTE material IS IMPERATIVE to ALTROCK’S dna. to explain how we do it, here’s a case study exploring the production of our most popular colourway.
STEP ONE
MARBLE EXTRACTION
This is the quarry of one of our supply partners in Portugal. It yields Rose Aurora, one of the most unique marbles in the world. Here, vast blocks are cut from the face of the rock, varying in shade from deep rich veined pinks to crystalline peaches. During this process, large quantities of rubble are left behind. Quarries can crush this waste stone to create the fine aggregates that comprise 60% of Altrock’s mass.
estramoz QUARRY
PORTUGAL 2022
STEP TWO
BLOCK MACHINING
After their painstaking extraction, blocks of marble deemed fit for production are taken away for processing. They are trimmed, sawn in to slabs and polished at plants in the surrounding area. Each step of the way, a myriad of natural imperfections can reveal themselves rendering the slabs unusable or causing them to break and be discarded.
pROcessing facility
PORTUGAL 2022
from grave to cradle
STEP THREE
WASTE REMOVAL
Huge piles of discarded and broken slabs accumulate with few options for re-use or environmentally sound disposal. In collaboration with our supply partners, we select the best for colour and quality, and prepare them for a new life as an Altrock surface.
processing facility
PORTUGAL 2022
STEP FOUR
CASTING ALTROCK
At our east London workshop, we use our uniquely developed formulae to turn these various marble by-products into a pourable composite material. The mix is then pigmented and combined with selected marble chunks to create custom sized slabs for our clients. We only cast slabs to the exact required sizes for each project so as to keep material waste to an absolute minimum.
altrock workshop
LONDON 2022
a new lease of life
STEP FIVE
PRODUCT FABRICATION
After curing, the slabs are machined and polished to produce various hardwearing and beautiful surfaces. They can be further cut and joined to form complex 3D structures for furniture and fittings. Altrock’s unique materiality not only supports a more sustainable approach to design, but allows for new possibilities in construction for marble-based products.
altrock workshop
LONDON 2022