Studio ThusThat primarily focuses on materials and alternative making-processes⸺particularly on the use of uncommon materials such as industrial and mining wastes⸺to suggest alternative futures. Led by Kevin Rouff and Paco Boeckelmann, they work across a range of disciplines, bridging design, art and material sciences. Studio ThusThat creates pieces rooted in a deep appreciation for materials, the maker process, and storytelling. The various disciplines allow them to unearth the complicated backstories of our everyday material world. Researching these starting points with industrial players, scientific researchers and other collaborators, Studio ThusThat recontextualizes materials in a world of finite resources, demonstrating the full potential value of waste. 

Since graduating from Stanford University, University of Twente and the Imperial College and Royal College of Art London, Kevin and Paco work with unconventional materials under the name of  Studio ThusThat. Their ongoing research explores industrial waste from mining and metallurgy. They focus on byproducts of different production processes, to look at potential applications and share a more complete story of what lies behind these metals. For This is Copper, they worked closely with scientists to develop a geopolymer from slag⸺a byproduct of copper refining that is fastly piling in massive black mounds worldwide. The resulting material is a high-performance cement alternative with lower carbon emission. The collection used various techniques to experiment with the material’s characteristics. Their new collection of furniture and interior items, One Side Sawn, is made from repurposing single sheets of salvaged aluminium offcuts colloquially known as ‘crusts’: the irregularly textured sides that are swan off from the massive blocks of metal cast in the early stages of aluminium production. The collection ensures that every offcut is used, acknowledging the cost and scale of refined materials.

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