Meet the innovator promoting reuse in the built environment

“Sustainability shouldn't be an afterthought, it should be integral to what you do,” says Ozge Aygunoglu, who has developed a website that matches companies holding excess building stock with clients looking to source materials at a reduced cost.

“We otherwise risk depleting natural resources and getting to a point where we run out; where only the richest people will be able to afford well-built, well-insulated homes.”

Ozge’s website is called The Material Network (previously ReMake Materials) and was developed while she worked as a design manager on a construction project at King’s Cross. It was there she realised just how many different options for materials are considered and rejected during the fit-out of large buildings.

“We would receive samples such as floor tiles, fabric and timber that were not needed but had value,” she explains. “They needed to be taken off site, but I didn’t want to throw them away.

“I started to donate samples to Central Saint Martin’s college for their student projects, and spoke to suppliers about their unwanted materials. I listed them on Facebook Marketplace to see if other people would like them, and that is how the venture began.”

Ozge discussed her plans with a waste contractor employed by the construction firm she worked for, and encouraged her contact to let her know of any leftover goods.

“My first sale came after he rang me about 12 sheets of plywood that were not needed – and I made £150 from a landlord doing up a property, which I donated to charity.”

Ozge Aygunoglu, founder, The Material Network

Soon after, the construction company Ozge worked for went into administration which – despite the upheaval – presented an opportunity to commit to her new venture full time.

Within weeks she heard about and applied to take part in the Design to Deliver programme – led by Connected Places Catapult, and involving both Digital and Satellite Applications Catapults – whose first year was focused on helping small companies involved in developing nature positive interventions to receive design advice, and to scale.

Putting her idea into practice

ReMake Materials was accepted on to Design to Deliver to develop its solution to a challenge titled ‘Informed choices for nature positive actions’. Ozge was introduced to the local community of Knowle West in Bristol to present her idea for helping residents source unwanted building materials, and gather feedback.

“Design to Deliver allowed me to carry out research into whether people wanted this service, and what my idea could look like in practice. It turned out there was a bigger demand than I expected,” she adds. “Larger businesses face red tape when sourcing reused materials, but individual consumers are often very happy to get a bargain.

“Bristol is very green in terms of policies and its people. I saw some amazing houses including one that had been renovated purely using second-hand materials.”

Insight from the programme has led Ozge to seek a construction partner in London to donate unwanted supplies, and investigate how best to run a local pick up and drop off service. The Material Network is currently collaborating with contractor 8Build and developer MSK on reusing unwanted materials from site.

She is keen not just to provide a portal for advertising stock, but listing the wants of customers too. “I’m always surprised what creative people and renovators are willing to make use of; somebody’s trash is another person’s gold.”

For the moment, the website takes a small commission from each transaction, but the plan is to create a subscription service so companies can list as many unwanted materials as they want for a yearly fee. Ozge adds that her dream is for people to visit her platform first before buying new from a shop.

Following her entrepreneurial parents

Ozge was born in Ilford, east London, and is the daughter of Turkish immigrants who run a chain of cafes. “They came here with nothing, and I love my parents’ work ethic.

“My dad is a massive eBay fiend, and being Turkish we are used to haggling. I’m a believer in the circular economy and while sharing platforms exist for clothes, cars and food – there’s no reason it can’t for construction, which creates the most waste.”

She enjoyed maths and languages at school, but “completely messed up” her A-levels before finding a place on an architecture course at the University of Manchester.

After three years of study, Ozge met construction firm Mace at a graduate fair and joined as a design manager working on developing Apple’s new office inside the revamped Battersea Power Station. She worked alongside two architects representing the developer and retailer, helping ensure their designs could be delivered to time and budget.

“Battersea was awesome: it was the best scheme to work on in London, and I learnt a lot about project politics and having the confidence to speak up. If I'm the smartest person in the room, I’m in the wrong room.”

She later joined ISG as a design manager to work on development of Meta’s London office at King’s Cross, and started reflecting on her short career “to try and move to a more sustainability orientated role”.

Benefiting from Design to Deliver

She is proud to have been accepted onto the first cohort of Design to Deliver, which teamed start-up companies with design consultants, and appreciated being able to bounce ideas off a mentor.

“I’m grateful to have been connected with wonderful people, and to have had the support and encouragement from the Catapults, who were very generous and forthcoming.

“Funding received was also game changing for us as a start-up, and allowed for ideas to be tested with communities so we could understand the right market fit for users.”

Ozge describes being an entrepreneur as one of the hardest things someone could do. “It’s about jumping in at the deep end, challenging yourself and performing mental acrobatics.

“It can be mentally draining and scary, but to build something from nothing is the most fulfilling thing you could possibly do.”

She adds that innovation in the built environment is important because “believing in a better way” can help both those who need it the most and the environment. “Construction missed the tech revolution; now it’s playing catch-up.”

“I have infectious enthusiasm, and always wanted to do something on my own one day. I was waiting for my Eureka moment, and this was it.”

Read about the work of the Design to Deliver programme and the thoughts of senior leads from the three Catapults and Innovate UK about the initiative.