Reclaimed Balcony Concrete Finds New Uses Through Circular Design

Reinforced-concrete balcony elements removed during a residential renovation in Kaunas, Lithuania, have become the starting point for thirteen functional objects. Developed by OFF-RAW, the project Reinkarnacija, or Reincarnation, explores how architectural components can retain value after their original purpose ends.

The project began at Taikos pr. 95, where the balcony elements had formed part of the building for more than five decades. Rather than treating the removed concrete solely as waste, OFF-RAW investigates how its existing shape, structure and history can inform new applications.

Designing From Existing Materials

OFF-RAW’s approach reverses a familiar design sequence. Instead of defining an object and then selecting materials to manufacture it, the studio starts with what already exists. The material’s proportions, properties, surface marks and limitations guide the design process.

For architects, interior designers and product designers, this offers a way to approach reclaimed components as resources with distinct characteristics. A fracture can influence an object’s appearance, while existing reinforcement can contribute to a new structure. Weathered surfaces provide textures that do not require artificial ageing.

The material’s provenance also matters. These elements carry a connection to a particular building and more than fifty years of use. Although manufacturers can produce new concrete, they cannot recreate that specific history.

Concrete And Reinforcement Mesh

The thirteen objects use only two primary materials: the original balcony concrete and reinforcement mesh. This restriction keeps the reclaimed architectural elements central to the work.

Each outcome responds to the available form, rather than following a predetermined design. Different shapes and structural features therefore lead to different functions and decisions.

The objects demonstrate the possibilities of the method, rather than representing its final goal. The broader investigation concerns how designers can identify useful qualities in components that have reached the end of one application but may still support another.

Making Reuse Desirable

OFF-RAW also considers what motivates people to choose reclaimed materials. Environmental arguments alone do not necessarily create demand. Function, appearance and a material’s history can provide additional reasons for selection.

A distinctive fracture, an aged surface or a recognisable connection to a building may become part of an object’s appeal. In this approach, aesthetics helps reveal existing value and supports the transition from overlooked material to a desirable new application.

Extending A Circular Design Method

MaterialDistrict previously featured OFF-RAW’s work with defective and leftover reinforced-concrete production elements. The studio has also explored the same principle through urban wood.

Reinkarnacija extends this methodology to materials recovered during building renovation. It suggests that circular design involves both finding further uses for existing resources and recognising the qualities that make those resources worth retaining.

Source & photos: OFF-RAW