Shortlisted as ‘Young Ideas’

Rumett is an interior wall panel designed to be reused, not replaced. The solution challenges the linear logic of conventional building materials by offering an alternative that can be installed, removed, and reinstalled without glue, paint, or waste.

Behind Rumett is a simple but radical idea: What if we stopped treating walls as disposable? The concept emerged from experiences in humanitarian and Danish construction settings, where temporary and permanent structures alike often generate unnecessary waste, especially when spaces change, and materials are discarded, even while still functional.

The result is a panel system developed through hands-on experimentation with hundreds of full-scale prototypes. Edges, textures, and drying methods have been refined to create a product that is not only circular but practical and durable.

Rumett invites us to rethink the most ordinary elements of architecture and proves that with the right design, even a plaster panel can be part of a regenerative future.

THE JURY SAYS

Rumett reinvents one of the most common building materials by transforming recycled ash from Danish power plants into a high-performance alternative to traditional plasterboard. Free from paper facings and designed for disassembly, it offers lower environmental impact while delivering strong fire, acoustic, and weight performance. Its durable, furniture-like quality means panels can be mounted, moved, and reused instead of discarded. Accessible and scalable, 

Rumett holds global potential, including in regions where rapid, resilient construction is essential. This innovation proves how circular thinking and bold entrepreneurship can turn waste into a beautiful, functional material for the many.