Architect Transforms Urban Waste into Stunning Furniture Exhibition | Ex Soup

FDT Bureau

Mexican architect Javier Guzman Cervantes has ingeniously repurposed urban waste materials, including cinderblocks and rebar, to craft a striking series of furniture showcased in Mexico City. Through his research project, Ex Soup, Cervantes scoured construction sites and waste repositories across the city to curate an exhibition at the design gallery Util, in collaboration with the arts organization Lugar Vivo. Know more about it on FURNITURE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY (FDT).

Dubbed Construcciones Domesticas (Household Constructions), the exhibition features an array of objects spanning tables, chairs, lighting fixtures and day beds. Cervantes’ motivation behind the project is to aim to raise awareness about the ecological impact of construction waste, the scarcity of affordable and durable furniture options, and the necessity for architects to transcend the confines of conventional design thinking to prioritize functionality.

According to him, his journey in crafting furniture from salvaged materials started in his teenage years, culminating in the formal establishment of Ex Soup in 2022. Drawing inspiration from his daily encounters and contributions from friends and construction sites, Cervantes explained that the name Ex Soup pays homage to his preferred materials—industrial remnants like metal and glass shaped by their molten origins.

The pieces showcased in Household Constructions showcase innovative combinations of materials, often stacked to form recognizable shapes, with many creations eschewing traditional adhesives in favour of tension to maintain ergonomic integrity. Other such examples include a coffee table fashioned from steel beams and adorned with discarded mirror and glass surfaces, as well as a desk constructed from stacked paving stones and PVC piping, stabilized by tension and a repurposed headboard.

The collection encompasses a spectrum of styles, from minimalist designs evoking a brutalist aesthetic with their prominent steel and concrete elements, to more vibrant pieces such as a divan adorned with a colorful weave of scrap fabric. Electrowelded mesh, repurposed as both structural supports and lampshades, further accentuates the versatility and creativity showcased throughout the exhibition.

Image credit: Javier Guzman