Exploring our Ecological Futures through Deep Materiality – join us for a talk and conversation with Blast Studio
Materials Club has been active as a community-led research group in Birmingham since 2019. Now in its third year, it has become a creative-led research space exploring questions related to our ecological future through deep material practices.
We support and cultivate projects that look to use materials in new, different, and sustaining ways. This includes working with waste, nature, and within the values of circular design. We encourage collaboration and open conversation allowing new knowledge to be shared and developed collectively. This is a space to be inspired, learn, engage, and become part of a growing community.
Materials Club Talks invite practitioners to share new and interesting materials practices. Hosted by Sarah King, a different STEAMhouse member each month will invite a guest to share their materials practice. Their presentation will be followed by an open discussion that will delve deeper into our guest’s personal values and motivations for their work, with a focus on materiality and our current global context. This month’s guest has been invited by STEAMhouse member Kaitlin Ferguson
Our Speaker

The second speaker to join us is Blast Studio , who develop unique Artefacts and Furniture made from waste & living organisms.
Blast Studio, (acronym for the biological laboratory of architecture & sensitive technology) are a design studio created in 2018 by Paola Garnousset, Martin Detoeuf and Pierre de Pingon with the aim to explore how nature and technology can be put in dialogue in order to transform cities’ discarded material into artefact and architecture. Their work has been exhibited across the UK, France, the Netherlands and South Korea. In 2020, they won the Prix d’Encouragement in Architecture from the French Académie des Beaux Arts. In 2022, they were awarded the New Talent Award at Surface Design Show and they are finalist for the Loewe Craft Prize 2022!
Where is this event?
This event will be held in person at the new STEAMhouse building in Birmingham. You are invited you to join us from 5.30pm for light refreshments and a community social – Blast Studio’s talk will begin at 6pm, followed by an informal conversation facilitated by our evening’s co-host Kaitlin Ferguson.
Who can come along?
Anyone! Individuals, businesses, artists, designers, materials scientists, students, academics, makers and anyone in between!
How else can I get involved?
Keep an eye on our Instagram page @materials_club or drop us an email at sarah.king2@bcu.ac.uk to find out more.