Starting from the start 018. Stories Hidden in Concrete

Building on their earlier experience of using leftover slump-test concrete to make tabletops, the META Design team realized this approach could be developed further. As the design of the 16th-floor shared space progressed, new needs emerged—this time, they decided to use reclaimed concrete again, casting heavier elements such as table legs and bases.

Returning to the construction site with their self-made molds, the process went much more smoothly than the first attempt. With improvements to the mold design, the structure was more stable and allowed the concrete to settle evenly during pouring, requiring very little correction afterward.

While waiting for the slump test to be completed, the designers wandered around the site and picked up small, easily overlooked objects—broken pieces of rebar, pull tabs from drink cans, cigarette butts and rusted nails. Almost casually, they dropped these items into the mold. What looked like bits of “trash,” added with a touch of humor, quietly captured fragments of everyday life on the construction site.

In the end, the finished concrete piece was combined with a rebar lifting cage reclaimed from the Taipei Dome site, becoming a plant stand in the 16th-floor shared space. If you ever visit Farglory’s Construction Waste Upcycling Project 1.0, take a moment to look at the planter next to the reception counter. When you notice these unexpected objects embedded in the concrete base, you might just find yourself smiling.

Photo credit: META Design

Starting from the start 026. Where Cultural Change Began to Ripple

Complaints and doubts are not necessarily negative. Sometimes, they are simply the beginning of conversation. FG Next had been in preparation since 2017, with weekly meetings devoted to discussion and debate, gradually shaping Farglory’s direction toward “sustainability” and “sharing”. The 1.0 shared space was the first attempt to bring the idea of circular regeneration in architecture into the workplace. When a concept moves from discussion into everyday reality—when it becomes part of where people work—it naturally invites people to feel, to reflect, and even to question. That, too, is part of cultural change.

Starting from the start 025. The Night We Moved In: Project 1.0

Six months earlier, the FG Next team had visited the META Design studio in Tamsui for the first time. That visit allowed us to truly see how discarded resources could be transformed into something meaningful. It aligned closely with the conversations FG Next had been having for more than two years around architectural sustainability. When we shared the background of FG Next, the issues we care about, and the idea of using the 16th-floor shared space as an experimental site, META Design understood that this was not a one-off commission. It was a company choosing to test new approaches within its own workplace.

Starting from the start 024. A Phone Booth Between Vision and Reality

After the completion of the 1.0 shared space, practical needs led us to add a phone booth. Looking at a space built entirely from construction waste, and then flipping through catalogs of commercially available office booths, it felt clear that simply placing a ready-made product inside would the overall look and feel of the space. It would look out of place.