RE:Build [Surface Design]
RE:Build is the culmination of processes primarily consisting of a recycled paper composite constructed from waste materials and sand.
A paper composite was formed and laminated with sand to increase rigidity and enrich texture. It was then manipulated further by a debossing process, for which frottage of a fractured concrete block was abstracted, segmented, and laser-cut to form a debossing plate. The concrete block was chosen as a symbolic representation of the destruction of urban space inflicted by the 2010/11 Ōtautahi earthquakes.
The segmentation of the debossing plate allows pieces to be arranged at random to facilitate irregularity as a reflection of the nervousness synonymous with living in an environment afflicted by a natural disaster. The effects of the debossing process were exacerbated by distressing the surface through wet sanding and tearing, occasionally revealing a contrasting surface beneath.