Do you allow client customization of the materials and
hues used in a Foresso tile?
Adapting Foresso is something that can help tell the
story of a project, whether through custom binder colors or
custom timber. The only catch is that we will only source
off-cuts of British timber. Some of our clients ask us to source
timber from specific locations or come to us with a reference
we then work to.
Where do you source your raw materials for Foresso?
We source as much of our materials locally as we can.
Our timber is all from Britain, a lot of it coming from
London, and the rest from within 100 miles of us. We
are very strict about our materials policies and source
everything as responsibly as possible, whether by choosing
formaldehyde-free, FSC plywood or by working to
eliminate single-use plastics within the workshop.
Your ethical stance in the creation of materials that are
sustainable and environmentally-friendly is admirable.
You arrived at a turning point where you and your
partner Jake Solomon decided to cut production of resin
panels. What prompted this business decision, and what
challenges did you encounter after this move?
When I first approached Jake, I had thought Foresso
was fairly ready to go, but together we have developed it
significantly. The more we worked on it and talked to people
about it, the more we realized the potential in sustainable
manufacturing and that we could do it the way that we
wanted to. Both of us had long wanted to take an ethical
stance and engage with sustainability, and it felt like the time
was right for it. After we announced our shift away from
resin panels for ethical and ecological reasons, we had mixed
reactions. Some people were overjoyed to hear that we were
taking a stand, and some didn't think that it was a good idea
because they liked the resin panels. In the end, the change has
had a hugely motivating effect on us and it's been wonderful
to get such a good response.
Moving and then setting up our new production facility
has been a massive undertaking, but we are getting settled
in now and have been building an excellent production team
who are really engaging with what we are trying to do. For
us, it's been all about constantly improving and constantly
trying to make better choices in everything we do.
“It's okay to go
against the accepted
way of doing things
and that we can
stand our ground
without having to
bend to what people
think the market
wants. It’s been
amazing to find
an audience that
responds positively
to this.”
Where do you intend to take Foresso next? Any new
sustainable materials in the pipeline to look forward to?
We are currently in production at our new facility and are
scaling up to meet demand, but we have still have long term
goals for Foresso as a material to reach our ethical goals. We
are aiming to make it 100% recycled and are currently
working with some exciting institutions that specialize
in sustainable materials and are helping us make this a reality.
Go against the grain with Foresso at foresso.co.uk and on Instagram at @_foresso.