Flax, potato skin, cacao: New materials in architecture and design

Located in the city of Pedernales in northwestern Ecuador, the "Cacao Eco Village" project was designed by the Italian architect Valentino Gareri, who imagined buildings constructed from recycled cocoa fibres. Photo: AFP

From bridges and houses to furniture, what if polluting raw materials could be replaced with more sustainable alternatives? Such has been the aim of several projects around the world in recent years, each as surprising as the next.

A bridge made with hemp and flax fibres