Fabulous upcycling: Old clothes become new bricks

It is well known that the fashion industry is one of the biggest environmental sinners, but many people still don’t care. With ‘fast fashion’, the amount of clothing produced and thrown away has increased significantly in recent years. On the European Parliament’s website, under the heading ‘The impact of textile production and waste on the environment’, we are given facts and insights that are crystal clear.

For example, did you know that “To make a single cotton t-shirt, 2,700 litres of fresh water are required according to estimates, enough to meet one person’s drinking needs for 2.5 years.” ?

A young architect from Paris has developed a pioneering idea for interior design from the excessive depletion of natural resources in the textile sector: Clarisse Merlet founded her Paris-based creative studio FabBRICK in 2018 after completing her architecture degree with a diploma project of the same name. Driven by the desire to combine her creativity with environmental commitment, she devised an innovative, now patented manufacturing process in which old textiles are used to produce building blocks for wall coverings and design objects.

The FabBRICKs consist of 80% shredded textiles and 20% ecological binder. This enables the production of robust, thermally insulating, acoustically absorbent bricks without any burning or chemicals.

And since clothing is colourful, the textile bricks are also available in different colours. In addition to its standard range, Clarisse Merlet also offers customised creations, particularly in the area of furniture design.

The young architect’s company is strongly committed to the circular economy and collects the textiles to be recycled directly from its customers in France. This guarantees the traceability of the materials.

The project, which started as a fundraising initiative, quickly found enthusiastic clients among renowned international companies and quickly became a pioneering player in the field of responsible design. Today, production in the new 400 m2 workshop in Paris is optimised with the company’s ecological values in mind. Since autumn 2024, FabBRICK has also been increasingly dedicated to artistic concepts and collaborations.

We find: Très génial!

Text: Britta Krämer