PET-MAT is an NGO and a research group at FA CTU in Prague, which is investigating the use of recycled PET in architecture. PETMAT is focused on pilot projects in terms of plastic recycling methods through 3D printing, raising public awareness and generating pieces of art within design education. The group started its activity by developing a bottle-brick called „PET(b)rick“, which is produced by an industrial method of plastic blow moulding.
PET-MAT research group was born on 1st of July 2014 in Experimental studio FA CTU Prague, which has had a tradition in implementing garbage as a building material since 2010. In 2016 PETMAT z. ú. was founded in order to execute research findings on Public.
The PETMAT activities and research is supported by two main partners: KMV a. s. in Prague and CTU Prague. PETMAT collaborates with Muzeum Jindřichohradecka, Umění ve městě, CTU publishers, Plzeň 2015, NTK and others.
Every April – already as a tradition – we construct a pavilion for the publishers of CTU at the Book World event in Prague.
In March 2016 we installed 15 shining installations at the Student Night event at FS CTU Prague in cooperation with Experimental design studio A/N FA CTU, SNM UK and FS CTU.
With the christmas PETree next to the National technical library PET-MAT celebrates 18 months of existence.
The visualisation and the reality – PET(ch)airs at the Czech pavilion at EXPO 2015 Milano
PET(ch)airs outside: quiet a different story, becoming a „must have“ object in your garden.
//The PET-MAT Project solves the problem of recycled PET in Architecture. One of the solution is to produce a light brick made of low quality recycled polyethylene tereftalate – a brick made like a bottle. Previous research showed us the potential of post-user bottles to carry heavy loads, the book 150 000 describes examples of architecture made of PET bottles. Giving the bottle second (and third) life can decrease the amount of bottles polluting our nature.And economically, we think this is the way how to prolong the life of bottles and stabilise the quick consumer recycling cycle.
The idea has raised from Experimental atelier, a studio led by Kateřina Nováková and Henri Achten at FA CTU Prague since 2008. They started by working with the topic of garbage in architecture and ended up with seeing PET bottle as a representative.
When being financed by Mattoni we started to develop a building unit out of recycled PET called PET(b)rick.
Animation of the building process
Animation of a PET(b)rick house
