History

In 2000 a team of artists working for the Free Form Arts Trust decided to find ways to use recycled materials in public arts projects as a contribution to sustainability in the built environment. After much consideration glass was chosen because of the amount that needs to be recycled, its ubiquity, its intrinsic qualities physical properties and not least its beauty. The challenge was to make a beautiful product from waste, which is good enough to attract sales in its own right and meet the standards for fit for purpose applications.

The Green Bottle Unit was formed within the Free Form Arts Trust led by Martin Goodrich - Artistic Director and developed from original processes and designs for recycled glass by David Watson.

Now known simply as GBU a great deal of technical research and development has been completed and a range of standard products has been perfected called eluna. During this extensive research and development programme a number of one-off designs were created and produced for a variety of prestigious projects and these can be seen at:

* Broad Street - Reading Borough Council
* Kamukura House – Japan - Fosters & Partners
* Shoreditch Arts Trail - Shoreditch Trust and Hackney Borough Council
* Islington Canal Markers - Islington Borough Council
* S.H.A.D.A on the Waterfront - Stepney Housing Association
* Joan Edlis, Lighting Feature – private client
* Landscaping private development - Colchester - Barratts South Eastern

Now established as a Limited Liability Partnership and financed by The Adventure Capital Fund and Free Form Arts Trust. GBU LLP is a social enterprise that aims to meet the demands of architects, interior designers and landscapers seeking high quality versatile building products that also contribute to environmentally sustainable objectives and targets.

Ethos

The company’s ethos is to bring beautiful, sustainable and saleable 100% recycled glass product to the building industry market. The ambition is to produce recycled glass products to meet fit-for-purpose standards, comparable to traditional products used in building, be they stone, ceramic, concrete or synthetic materials.

We have a vision of today’s waste mountains being converted into materials, which will clad the buildings of the future. We see these products contributing to the sustainabilities and aesthetic qualities of the 2012 Olympic vision in East London.

The starting point was to make a product, which had its own intrinsic beauty and qualities that could be valued for this strength overcoming the perception, that recycling means inferior. This was followed by the development of unique methods of production focused on sustainability with minimal production waste.

eluna is this unique world-wide first material available to you today.

Our team of designers, artists and craftspeople all contribute to the creation of our products. We produce a standard range of products and undertake special commissions, working closely with architects and interior designers to custom make products for specific design briefs.

eluna brings together creative innovation and environmental sustainability. Combining art, science and technology GBU transforms waste glass to create functional, visually stunning and durable surfaces such as tiles, bricks, paviours, work- tops and cladding products.

eluna is produced by GBU Limited Liability Partnership, a social enterprise based in Hackney in the East End of London, which is an off-shoot of the charity Free Form Arts Trust.

GBU LLP Hothouse 274 Richmond Road London E8 3QW T: 020 7241 7474
© GBU LLP 2006