Sustainable Design in Action: Fused Recycled Glass for the Redruth Buttermarket Restoration
White recycled glass cladding created for the Buttermarket restoration in Redruth, Cornwall.
A research paper documenting the Redruth Buttermarket restoration project has been published in FormAkademic: Sustainable Design in Action: A Case Study on Fused Recycled Glass in the Redruth Buttermarket Restoration.
The paper explores the development, testing, and implementation of white recycled glass cladding created for the Buttermarket restoration in Redruth, Cornwall. Commissioned by Architectural Thread and delivered by Oseng-Rees Reflection Ltd, the project demonstrates how innovative materials can be successfully integrated into heritage-led architectural regeneration.
Co-authored with Juan A. Ferriz-Papi and Ahmad Wadee from the University of Salford, the research examines the interdisciplinary collaboration between design, material research, architecture, and academia. It follows the journey from material innovation and craft-based production through to environmental assessment and installation within a completed building project.
The study highlights how collaboration across disciplines can transform research and experimental ideas into practical, real-world applications. It also contributes to ongoing discussions around sustainability, circular economy principles, material reuse, and innovation in architecture and construction.
The publication reflects the collective efforts of all project partners and contributors, including Architectural Thread, Redruth Revival, and the wider team involved in bringing the Buttermarket project to completion.
Read the full paper: Form Akademic Publication,
Vol 19 Nr. 2 (2026): Transformation – Effect and Affect of Craft in Society, Published: 2nd November
Ref: Oseng-Rees, T., Ferriz-Papi, J. A., & Wadee, A. (2026). Sustainable Design in Action: A Case Study on Fused Recycled Glass in the Redruth Buttermarket Restoration. FormAkademisk, 19(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/formakademisk.6370
Photo: Claire Fear, Huw Brsicoe and Tyra Oseng-Rees
