Floris Schiferli - Loops & Circles: Unravelling Material Flows

Hearing Architecture

The Hearing Architecture podcast, proudly sponsored by Brickworks, presents Again and Again and Again, a mini-series hosted by Hilary Duff.

Each week we bring you interviews and conversations as we seek better ways to understand, harness and deploy the expertise and knowledge of professionals currently within the design community, at home and abroad. Our guests are all experts on circularity within the building industry and share the aim to display that waste is not an accident, but the consequence of decisions made at the design stage. Here is our opportunity. We, as designers, have an opportunity to do better.

In today’s episode I speak with Floris Schiferli of SuperUse Studios, Rotterdam. Superuse Studios is an international architecture collective for circular and sustainable design. In their office, a design is not considered as the beginning of a linear process, but rather: A phase in a continuous cycle of creation and recreation, use and reuse.

They have applied several strategies to make sustainable architecture with reclaimed materials. And have a wonderful and delightful variety of projects, including fit-outs, playgrounds, commercial offices and social housing.

SuperUse’s is driven by a deep-rooted belief in transforming waste into valuable resources. Their work pioneers ideas about moving beyond the "green economy" where a commercial enterprise is organised according to ecological principles and the waste streams of one business becomes the source of raw materials for another.

This pioneering venture has garnered widespread recognition for its groundbreaking work in waste architecture and circular design, earning them the distinguished ARC 21 OEUVRE award in 2021.

The firms design process works to rethink the functionality of a ‘thing’ and to understand how it could perform a new function once it serves its initial purpose. SuperUse has distilled this process into 16 different flows that enter and exit buildings and cities. Each project begins by mapping these flows and then examining where the flows interconnect.

We were lucky enough to spend time with Floris back in July 2023, where he gave us an insight into this incredible economy of the future.

This has been Again&Again&Again, a mini-series of Hearing Architecture, proudly sponsored by Brickworks, and made possible with the support of the Alastair Swayn Foundation. This episode was recorded during a period of residency with the Danish Arts Association, in Copenhagen. Thank you so much for listening and thank you to our international guest Floris Schiferli of SuperUse Studios for your discussion Thank you for seeking to inspire and empower others to build a more resourceful and sustainable society.

Let’s watch this space and we look forward to speaking with you again in the future.

Our sponsor Brickworks also produces architecture podcasts hosted by Tim Ross. You can find ‘The Art of Living’, ‘Architects Abroad, and ‘The Power of Two’, at brickworks.com.au or your favourite podcast platform.

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This is a production by the Australian Institute of Architects Emerging Architects and Graduates Network, in collaboration with Open Creative Studio. The miniseries Again&Again&Again is proudly supported by the Alastair Swayn Foundation. The Institute production team was Madelynn Jenkins, and Claudia McCarthy, and the EmAGN production team was Daniel Moore.

This content is brought to you by the Australian Institute of Architects Emerging Architects and Graduates Network, in collaboration with Open Creative Studio. This content does not take into account specific circumstances and should not be relied on in that way. This content does not constitute legal, financial, insurance, or other types of advice. You should seek independent verification or advice before relying on this content in circumstances where loss or damage may result. The Institute endeavours to publish content that is accurate at the time it is published, but does not accept responsibility for content that may or will become inaccurate over time.

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