Vancouver based design-build studio blends traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge design
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New life for discarded cardboard
Materials come and go in a design studio and are often overlooked or discarded, says Paredes. At Workbench, they’re always searching for creative ways to reimagine the everyday. So instead of seeing cardboard as a waste product, they decided to see it as a material rich in texture and potential — the result being cardboard tiles.
“By cutting cardboard into strips and revealing its inner corrugation, we developed a method to turn this overlooked material into ceramic facade tiles. These strips become negatives for plaster moulds, which we then use for slip casting in clay or porcelain. Each tile is unique, we intentionally rearrange them into countless possible compositions, allowing irregular edges and imperfect geometry to shape the final piece,” says Paredes.
This unpredictability adds an organic, human quality to each piece, he says. When arranged on a surface, the tiles create a visually dynamic effect, changing with the light, rain, and movement around them, so the result is a raw yet deliberate texture that brings warmth and depth to architectural facades.
Bark-textured roof tiles
For a remote cabin on an island near Vancouver, Workbench sought to design roof tiles that seamlessly integrate into the surrounding forest, says Paredes. Inspired by the rough, weathered surfaces of tree bark, they collected tree bark samples from the site and used them to create rubber moulds, capturing the organic texture in detail.
The result is ceramic shingles that more than just mimic nature — they become part of it.
“These tiles not only echo the natural environment but also invite interaction — responding to weather, light and the passage of time in ways that make the roof feel like an extension of the landscape itself,” says Paredes.
The Naguri effect: Light and shadow
Drawing inspiration from ancient Japanese woodcarving techniques, Workbench’s Naguri tiles are another example of their material explorations.
“We first carve these patterns into wood, then transform them into ceramic and porcelain tiles. The deep, flowing “scoops” resemble ocean ripples, shifting from subtle to bold expressions as light moves across them throughout the day,” says Paredes.
This process has taken over a year to refine, as they wanted to ensure the ceramic version of the Naguri texture retains the tactile and visual richness of its wooden origins. The result is a surface that shifts with the light, producing a constantly evolving interplay of shadow and highlight.
“These tiles don’t just sit on a surface — they interact with it, creating immersive feature walls that invite both the eye and the hand to explore their undulating forms,” says Paredes.
The future of Workbench ceramics
These projects are just the beginning of Workbench’s ceramic explorations, says Paredes.
As they continue to push the boundaries of materiality, they’re exploring new ways to blend traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge design.
Future projects may incorporate biomaterial-based surfaces, he adds.
“Our material researcher, Paula Torres, has developed in the past animal leather-like material using mandarin peel, avocado pit, or mango fibres. We are currently exploring how to implement these (materials) into the Workbench projects,” says Paredes.
A versatile team of explorers
The team at Workbench is incredibly versatile, with backgrounds in architecture, industrial design, ceramics, jewelry design and making, and fine metalwork, says Paredes. Recently they’ve delved into jewelry creation, transforming small-scale sculptures into interactive pieces, bridging the tactile intimacy of adornment with the presence of architectural hardware, he says.
Materials are not just passive design elements, but rich palettes that allow architects, designers and makers to shape their visions, says Paredes:
“Whether it’s a ceramic tile that transforms a facade, a texture that enhances an interior, or a finish that deepens the connection between space and user, our goal is to provide materials that don’t just exist within a project, but actively participate in its story adding depth, emotion and a sense of place.”