Presented during Matter & Shape in Paris, the collaboration between SolidNature and Dutch designer Marte Mei introduces a refined design language rooted in reclaimed natural stone. What began as a site-specific installation has evolved into an ongoing partnership centered around the Off-Cut Puzzle concept, an open platform for future projects that explores how reclaimed materials can inform contemporary architecture and design. The collaboration is grounded in a shared pursuit of material excellence, craftsmanship, and the creation of enduring value through innovation.
The Off-Cut Puzzle concept is developed through digitally scanning and reassembling surplus stone fragments into carefully composed surfaces. Each piece is curated and positioned to achieve a harmonious balance of texture, color, and proportion, revealing the intrinsic character of the material. The resulting system merges architectural precision with the organic irregularities of natural stone.
Extending beyond its debut at Matter & Shape, Off-Cut Puzzle is conceived as a versatile design framework. It can be integrated into architectural applications, bespoke interiors, and collectible design pieces, adapting to a variety of spatial contexts. Every composition is inherently unique, shaped by the dialogue between available materials, design intent, and craftsmanship.
Marte Mei is a Dutch designer whose practice is defined by a rigorous exploration of material processes and contemporary craft. Her work investigates the intersection of technology and tactility, developing systems that reveal the latent potential within industrial remnants. Through analytical research and refined experimentation, she creates designs that are both conceptually driven and architecturally grounded.
In collaboration with SolidNature, Marte Mei reinterprets natural stone as a medium for innovation, transforming residual materials into sophisticated spatial expressions.
Working with SolidNature allowed us to rethink the lifecycle of stone. The Off-Cut Puzzle is about embracing what already exists and turning it into something unexpected — a composition where every fragment contributes to a new whole.
