Designer Andreu Carulla Turns Expanded Polystyrene Food Transportation Boxes into Stools | RR201

polystyrene food transportation boxes

Part of a series commissioned by three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca in Girona for Roca Recicla, RR201 is polystyrene stools designed by Spanish designer Andreu Carulla. Through the use of design, the stool is a part of the ambitious project of achieving a zero­-waste restaurant. Elaborating on the design philosophy, Andreu Carulla, designer and founder, Andreu Carulla Studio, says, “The aim was to reuse a non-recyclable material and invent a completely new process with which to recycle it and create a useful and durable product as a result.”

 
RR201 is a highly durable, lightweight stool that weighs less than 2kg.

Expanded polystyrene is a particularly difficult material to recycle. Therefore, the team had to come up with an entirely new process to recycle and reuse it. The design process began with the cleaning of the expanded polystyrene boxes, which are then shredded into raw material and compacted in a mould, using injected steam. The steam causes the polystyrene to bond together and expand into the mould. Slightly tapered in a honeycomb structure, the stools are covered in an eco-friendly coating, which is available in three colours. The coating provides rigidity, water-tightness and makes the stools suitable for outdoor use. The final result is that of a highly durable, lightweight stool that weighs less than 2kg.

Each stool varies in surface texture, meaning that no two are exactly the same.

Each day, the restaurant utilises produce from six polystyrene boxes. These discarded polystyrene boxes are converted into each individual RR201 stool that is made of the exact amount of resulting polystyrene waste. The restaurant makes one stool per day that will be numbered with the delivery date of the original polystyrene boxes. Although produced by mould, each stool varies in surface texture, meaning that no two are exactly the same, emphasising the relationship between the guests and the best products in the world through the material.

Image credits: Andreu Carulla

Designer Andreu Carulla

About the designer

With materiality, craftsmanship and sustainability as goals, Andreu Carulla creates beautiful objects with timeless appeal. Following his childhood dream of becoming an inventor, Catalan-born Andreu Carulla founded his eponymous product design studio in 2006, becoming one of the most versatile design firms working in Spain today. Constant exploration of materials, old-school techniques and contemporary processes hallmarks the studio’s projects, which include furniture, tableware, lighting, creative direction, interiors and more. Surrounded by an idyllic lake and an hour from Barcelona, a repurposed mill houses the designer’s studio and workshop, reflecting its Mediterranean approach to design. Andreu Carulla also runs sister studio ACID and serves as Creative Director for El Celler de Can Roca, Isist Atelier and Calma.

×
×

Post Your Comment


"Content that powers your Business. News that keeps you informed."

Surfaces Reporter is one of India's leading media in Print & Digital Telecast for News on Interiors & Architecture Projects, Products, Building Materials, and the Business of Design! Since 2011, it serves as a referral for designers & architects to know about inspiring projects and source new products. If you have a Product or Project worth publishing in Surfaces Reporter, please email us hello@surfacesreporter.com or you can also submit your project online.

Like Surfaces Reporter on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter and Instagram | Subscribe to our magazine | Sign Up for the FREE Surfaces Reporter Magazine Newsletter

Block Your Seat at INDIA FURNITURE CONCLAVE 2025 Southern Edition: 21-23 February Bangalore

The 3rd edition of the India Furniture Conclave (IFC) will bring together India’s trailblazing businesses in furniture ecosystem along with leading architects, interior designers, showroom owners, united by a shared mission: to connect, learn and grow together.

Read more

Perforated Aluminum Grid Ceiling | Idus Furniture

The 10,000-square-foot IDUS retail store, designed by I’m D’sign and I’mX in collaboration with Mariana Cunha Guimarães, features a modern

Read more

Designer Wall Panel with Glass Wood, Metal on RCC Wall | K.N. Associates

This 20-foot round cut-out in the wall features textured glass in blue, yellow, and green, arranged geometrically to mirror the diagonal lines of the surrounding RCC wall.

Read more

Red Agra Stone Adorned Edifice | Designplus Architecture(DPA)

The facade of Thapar University embodies a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity. Crafted from tall red Agra stone volumes with intricate white marble detailing, it pays homage to the timeless elegance of Indian architecture.

Read more


This is alt