Kaleseramik’s “Tête-à-Terra” Project Wins Acclaim at Dutch Design Week 2023

Kaleseramik, the leader of Türkiye’s ceramics sector, won acclaim with the Tête-à-Terra project, in which it is a partner, at Dutch Design Week 2023 in the Netherlands, one of Europe’s leading design events attracting around 350,000 visitors from across the world. As part of creative solutions for waste management, the project, carried out jointly by Kaleseramik, ATÖLYE Architecture and Mono Earth, transformed six tonnes of fired ceramic fragments into earth bricks using local clays. A pavilion was built with bricks made from Cappadocia’s distinctive soil and ceramic fragments, drawing attention to the circularity of materials used in construction.

Working in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through its “İyi Bak Dünyana” (“Take Good Care of Your World”) vision, Kaleseramik continues to introduce industry firsts through sustainable manufacturing technology, environmentally friendly products and projects. Having delivered numerous circular-economy initiatives aligned with its sustainability goals, from efficient resource use to waste recovery, Kaleseramik has now undertaken an important project focused on waste management and circularity with ATÖLYE Architecture and Mono Earth, a start-up producing sustainable earth-based building products.

Developed by ATÖLYE Architecture, Tête-à-Terra emphasises the importance of creative partnerships and collective effort in waste management and the transition to a circular economy. The project won acclaim at Dutch Design Week, one of Europe’s leading design events, attracting around 350,000 visitors worldwide. Dutch Design Week 2023, a major platform exploring the future of design, took place in the Netherlands from 21 to 29 October 2023.

Kaleseramik, ATÖLYE Architecture and Mono Earth took part in this major design event in Eindhoven with their jointly developed Tête-à-Terra project. Each partner contributed equally: Kaleseramik served as the industrial partner, ATÖLYE Architecture provided architectural design, and Mono Earth supported sustainable production. Highlighting the importance of creative partnerships and collective effort in waste management and the transition to a circular economy, the project transformed fired ceramic fragments and returned them to productive use.

Through the collaboration between Kaleseramik, ATÖLYE Architecture and Mono Earth, six tonnes of fired ceramic fragments were transformed into reusable bricks using local clays and traditional methods. The new bricks recovered from waste were used to build a pavilion at the event, creating a circular solution. Alongside the fired ceramic fragments, soil from Cappadocia, one of Türkiye’s most remarkable tourism destinations, was used to make the earth bricks.

The pavilion built from transformed waste highlighted the dizzying pace of global development. Its two facing walls created an intimate space for chance encounters and encouraged personal interaction by giving visitors a brief opportunity to slow down. Taking a critical look at how rapid progress and technological development shape the world, the installation invited visitors to pause and reconnect with nature.

Born from an ongoing dialogue and a shared passion for innovation between Kaleseramik’s established Kalebodur brand, ATÖLYE Architecture and Mono Earth, the project attracted strong interest from visitors, particularly architects and designers. Alongside strengthening awareness of Kaleseramik and opening the door to new collaborations on circular solutions, the project became an important source of motivation for the company’s “İyi Bak Dünyana” vision.