At the Paris Design Week 2026 event, the Latvian design collective Found Associations, in collaboration with Kalve Coffee, transformed an ordinary cafe into an active laboratory for studying materials and principles of circular design. The project demonstrates how everyday consumption can become a source of raw materials for new production forms, utilizing coffee byproducts and other waste for creative production.
The exhibition combines four material experiments into a single continuous system. Used coffee grounds are converted into biochar and activated carbon. This carbon is then applied in a filtration system developed by Martin Mesjulis to purify dirty water collected from the coffee machine.
Katrina Tina Smilgi's milk glue gives a second life to leftover whipped milk. The milk is heated and acidified to separate curdled particles, which are dried and ground into a powder capable of functioning as an adhesive. In combination with coffee grounds and filtered water by Liva Sakarne, this powder becomes a moldable composite used to create organically shaped coffee coasters.
Some of these coasters are integrated into the service at Kalve Coffee, taking the experiment beyond laboratory conditions and into commercial application. Artist Paula Punkstinya further transforms dirty water into semi-transparent decorative interior elements with an amber hue. This series of experiments challenges perceptions of waste, materiality, and the potential of circular design as viable commercial solutions.