Fly ash becomes a material in bentu design’s second mining project
At the confluence of Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River China, BENTU design begins The Second Mine, a project that reuses coal fly ash from the nearby Shenhua power plant as a basis for material exploration. The project explores fly ash as a primary material for concrete urban furnitureturning it into a durable composite through a recombination process with slag and other solid waste. Within this system, the cement content is reduced, while the internal structure of the material is refined. The resulting objects are based on the fine powder-like quality of fly ash, which behaves as both filler and active ingredient, contributing to density, surface continuity and long-term stability.
Rather than treating waste as a residual category, The Second Mine characterizes it as a form of “urban mining,” where existing industrial effluents are reintroduced into new cycles of production. The furniture is designed as material studies, where texture, weight and surface variation reflect its origins. Subtle tonal shifts and grainy finishes make the composition visible, incorporating the history of the material into its final form.
all images courtesy of BENTU Design
local materials and circular design scheme second mine project
Developed through local sourcing and production, the project by BENTU Design Studio creates a link between environmental conditions and design outcomes. Working within the context of regional industry, BENTU Design constructs a material language that is both site-specific and process-driven, where reuse becomes a defining element of form and appearance.
On a broader level, The Second Mine proposes a circular design model in which waste material is reassessed and reworked into new applications. Through this approach, the project positions material transformation not only as a technical process but as a framework for rethinking how objects are produced, used and understood.
project information:
name: Sustainable practices in fly ash recycling: BENTU design and The Second Mine
designer: BENTU design | @bentudesign
material: BTPC, Steel Slag / Recycled Jingdezhen Ceramics / Red Sandstone Waste, Fly Ash, Activated Silica Powder, Polymer Materials
size: L500xW480xH480 / L800xW480xH480 mm
weight: 65 / 105 kg
color: Black and white / Blue, white and green / Red, yellow and green / Black, white, red, green and blue
designboom received this project from us DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom
