The Moodboard Initiative
By Jesper Wøldike Brandt, 27/03/2025
Advancing green aesthetics together
At a:gain, we’re actively working to make a difference in sustainable construction by collaborating with customers and partners who share our vision: building and designing with circular building products. While the demand for sustainable solutions is growing and regulations are tightening, we still see a pressing need for more concrete action across the industry.
We recognize that the environmental impact of humans extends far beyond CO₂ emissions. That’s why our approach focuses on identifying suitable waste streams - including bi-products, offcuts, and production waste and repurposing them into functional and durable building materials at scale. This not only reduces the demand for virgin resources and the environmental costs of extraction, refinement, and transportation, but also helps avoid waste processing at end of life.
Through this approach, we aim to contribute to a wider spectrum of environmental benefits. In addition to lowering emissions, we strive to reduce freshwater use, limit particulate pollution, avoid the spread of novel entities, and protect biosphere integrity - ensuring a holistic contribution to sustainability.
The moodboard initiative
To bring this vision to life, we’ve launched the Moodboard Initiative: an open invitation to architects, designers, and creatives to reimagine what sustainable design can look like - materially, visually, and conceptually.
Here's how it works
Create a moodboard using only materials based on direct reuse, bio-based sources, or recycled resources.
Include at least three samples from a:gain, combined with samples from other sustainable producers such as Fischer Lighting, Gamle Mursten, Søuld, EGE, Kvadrat Really, Mater, Wehlers, Holmris B8 Recrafted or similar.
Submit high-quality photos of your moodboard along with a short explanation of your approach and reasoning behind the material choices.
By transforming what is typically considered waste into beautiful, purposeful design tools, the initiative reflects our broader mission: to reduce environmental degradation and empower creative solutions through circular thinking.
Selected moodboards are featured here on the a:gain Journal and on our social media channels - with full credit to their creators.
What we’ve seen so far
The first moodboards we’ve received demonstrate a bold and inspiring blend of sustainability, creativity, and craftsmanship. From poetic uses of reused timber and upcycled composites to innovative applications of bio-based fibers, these contributions reveal the untapped potential of materials often overlooked in traditional design processes.
Each moodboard is a reminder that sustainable materials don’t require aesthetic compromise - they offer new visual languages and tactile narratives that shape how we build, furnish, and imagine the spaces of tomorrow.
Introducing the first contributions
We’re proud to kick off the initiative by presenting the first three moodboards - created by forward-thinking design studios who share our ambition to move the industry in a more sustainable direction:
GXN - Designing through circular principles
GXN explores the aesthetic potential of sustainable materials through three lenses:
Biogenic materials: Combining sustainability with richness in form and feel. These materials challenge luxury’s traditional image, showing that beauty arises from conscious use and circularity.
Upcycled materials: Celebrating imperfections and embedded stories. GXN sees upcycling as an artform that redefines high-end design with responsibility and creativity.
Recycled materials: Embracing transformation. Recycled content is seen as both a practical and poetic choice - offering texture, depth, and a clear link to a regenerative design approach.
Their moodboard expresses a sophisticated language of durability, history, and a future-minded aesthetic.
Over Byen Arkitekter - Building with what we have
Over Byen works holistically with architecture - past, present, and future. Their moodboard reflects their core belief: that sustainable development begins with using the knowledge and resources already at our disposal.
Where new materials are introduced, they are selected deliberately and responsibly. The palette speaks to continuity, contextual sensitivity, and thoughtful restraint - reinforcing the idea that great design doesn’t demand excess, but care.
Spacon & X - Letting materials speak
Spacon & X embraces an honest and expressive material approach. Their philosophy: sustainable materials are not substitutes - they carry their own identities and should be used transparently, without concealment.
Their moodboard is a tactile and visual journey, built from a richly layered selection of materials:
a:gain materials:
Nærø acoustic absorber
Fusø draughtmaster tabletop
Hjelmø end grain brick flooring
Additional sustainable materials:
Samples from Natural Material Studio
Søuld acoustic mats
StoneCycling bricks in “Black Pepper” and “Ginger”
StoneCycling corn wall tiles in dark blue
Reused cast tin from Lintex production
Organoid moss (light green)
Kvadrat Really (cotton cream)
Ecological needle felt (natural dark)
Ecological hemp jersey (off-white)
Linolie satin oil on solid ash
Upcycled French baking cloths, naturally dyed
Sonaspray acoustic panel (grey)
The result is a composition of colour, tactility, and bold material honesty showing how sustainable choices can lead, rather than follow, in the design process.
Twentyfifty Studio: Climate-friendly aesthetics in practise
For Twentyfifty Studio, sustainable design is a layered, intentional process. From space planning to material selection, their approach is guided by principles of reuse, upcycling, bio-based products, and resource efficiency. The result? Projects that are flexible, beautiful, and low impact.
Their submission includes a curated moodboard and examples from their own Material Lab & Conference Room, which acts as both workspace and showcase. Here, wall finishes vary to test eco-conscious paints, while the floor features reused carpet tiles from Ege’s Una Brick line. Display units are crafted from Dinesen offcuts - designed for disassembly and future use.
Moodboard highlights:
- Our a:gain Hjelmø End-grain brick flooring - ideal for zoning or full-surface applications when direct reuse isn’t possible.
- Burned cork panels from Havnens Hænder - doubling as acoustic treatment and pin-up boards.
- CornWall tiles by FRONT - biodegradable, climate-positive, and perfect for temporary installations.
- Rustica Light Trend curtains from Fischer made with 99% post-consumer polyester.
This contribution from Twentyfifty Studio is a strong example of circular design meeting climate-conscious aesthetics - a philosophy made visible through every material, color, and construction detail.
Adept: Designing with resources in mind
Our third featured moodboard comes from Copenhagen-based architecture studio ADEPT, who are contributing to the green transition by making resource-conscious decisions at every design scale - from spatial concepts to architectural forms and interior details.
In their approach, sustainability is not a layer added at the end, it is embedded in the process. ADEPT uses iterative analysis to guide design choices, enabling them to explore alternative materials and building strategies that combine environmental performance with human-focused design.
Their moodboard showcases a thoughtful material palette that reflects the studio’s broader commitment: to challenge conventional design by integrating natural, recycled, and upcycled materials as part of architecture’s future language.
This submission underscores the power of data-driven design to lead the way in the green transition without compromising functionality, aesthetics, or the user experience.
ACT Architects: From Concept to Composition – Circularity as a Design Principle
At ACT Architects, sustainability is not just a goal – it’s a design discipline. Their approach blends aesthetics with accountability, placing materials at the heart of every decision. From color choices to textures and forms, each element is thoughtfully selected with care for both people and planet.
Their contribution to the Moodboard Initiative offers a curated glimpse into this philosophy, where reused materials, natural fibers, and tactile surfaces come together in quiet harmony. The style is warm, grounded, and subtly expressive, rooted in low environmental impact and high design quality.
Their moodboard features our a:gain Dybo acoustic material, douglas wood for Flarø and Kiø as well as our Hjælmø floor! With this, Architects’ moodboard is a clear example of how intentional design can be sensory, sustainable, and identity-driven – showing how interiors can be made to live longer, better, and with greater care.
Cobe Architects: Redefining Aesthetics
For Cobe Architects, sustainable design is not a constraint — it’s a creative opportunity. Their contribution to our moodboard initiative presents a powerful material narrative: one that celebrates reused components, circular flows, and architectural integrity.
Cobe’s moodboard submission demonstrates how reused and low-impact materials can drive both expression and responsibility. It’s a palette built not only for design appeal but for storytelling — each element a reminder that materials have pasts and futures.
The selected materials are tactile, varied, and deeply considered. Together, they form a cohesive statement: beauty in architecture can — and must — emerge from environmental accountability.
Moodboard highlights:
- Our a:gain Dybø - acoustic bats made from post-consumer plastic
- Rammed earth with reused aggregates – high-mass, low-carbon construction
- Our a:gain Hjælmø - end grain wood flooring of industrial off-cuts
- On-site reuse of stone and concrete – recovered fragments that add tactile storytelling
- Existing building elements – including steel beams and rusted panels repurposed for structural and aesthetic use.
- Rammed earth with reused aggregates – high-mass, low-carbon construction
- Our a:gain Hjælmø - end grain wood flooring of industrial off-cuts
- On-site reuse of stone and concrete – recovered fragments that add tactile storytelling
- Existing building elements – including steel beams and rusted panels repurposed for structural and aesthetic use.
This moodboard exemplifies how circular principles can enhance architectural quality. Cobe’s submission is not just a material study — it’s a vision of how reused components can shape the aesthetic language of the future.
Panum & Kappel: Reimagining Materials
At Panum & Kappel, direct reuse, recycled, and renewable materials are central to the practice’s circular approach.
With a resource-conscious and responsible approach towards shaping the built environment, the practice focuses on the
revitalisation, renovation, and transformation of existing buildings and spaces.
By working from the reuse of existing structures and building elements down to carefully considered material
choices, circularity is embedded in every project across all scales. The practice identifies the potential inherent in existing
structures and reclaims building materials wherever possible—prioritising preservation and reuse over demolition and
new construction.
By working creatively with the existing built environment, materials can gain new value through reuse, becoming
functional, aesthetic, and resilient building components. This approach contributes to an emerging aesthetic—one that
redefines beauty by giving elements a second life through reuse, refinement, and reinterpretation of what is already there.
The materials selected for the moodboard highlight the refinement of reused, recycled, and renewable materials,
reflecting the practice’s commitment to minimising its ecological footprint.
With a clear awareness of limited resources and a strong focus on reducing waste, it is essential to work innovatively
within the existing built environment, uncovering the potential of what already exists. This includes the incorporation of
production offcuts and discarded materials, reintroducing them into the design process to extend material life and
minimise waste. When new materials are required, renewable options are always prioritised to further reduce
environmental impact.
The materials for the moodboard are selected not only for their environmental and resource credentials but also for
their ability to revitalise spaces, add new layers of value, and strengthen identity and continuity within each project.
A:gain products featured:
Hjælmø: End grain brick flooring made from wood offcuts
Dybø: Acoustic batt made from PET bottles
Tystø: Glass wall partitioning made from waste glass and discarded wood
Get involved
Are you ready to contribute to the green transition?
Send us your moodboards and become part of the movement to redefine design through sustainability.
👉 Submit your moodboard to sales@again.dk.
Together, let’s shape a greener, more beautiful future - one material at a time.
