Material ConneXion Showroom Tour

I've been a subscriber to Material ConneXion for a while.  They have a fantastic library of innovative and unique materials- pulled from sources all over the world. While I frequent the Material ConneXion website, I have not visited their physical showroom.

So I was thrilled to see that GreenSource toured the NYC office of the global consulting service and visited its sprawling library of materials and posted a video giving the viewer a sneak peak at the world's largest resource for advanced, innovative and sustainable materials and processes.

What's even more exciting is the showroom is exhibiting 10 Materials that Will Change How We Design in 2011.  In this video, VP of research Andrew Dent explains the company's MEDIUM Material of the Year awards showcase and the most innovative additions to the library, including insulation made from mushrooms and farm waste. (See the video below or visit this link.)

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Here are my Top 4 Picks plucked from Material ConneXion's MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year, 2010   

Carbon Negative Cement (Novacem, United Kingdom) is a revolutionary solution to reducing carbon emissions in the cement industry.  By replacing calcium carbonates used in cement formulation with magnesium silicates, and by using a low-temperature production process that employs biomass fuels, Novacem has achieved an alternative to poured concrete that offers the same performance and cost benefits as ordinary Portland cement but with a negative carbon footprint. (Winner of MEDIUM Award for Material of the Year 2010

 

ECO-HPL (Dekodur, Germany)

The world’s first high-pressure laminate made without the use of phenol formaldehyde resins. Unlike traditional HPLs, this carbon neutral product can be recycled back into more laminate at the end of its life. The material can significantly improve sustainability in interiors, furniture production and transportation design.

Saratech® Permasorb Wallpaper (Blücher, Germany)

Air-purifying Wallpaper. Saratech® Permasorb Wallpaper is an ingenious solution for combating air pollution in contaminated buildings. The durable covering removes toxins embedded in wall surfaces, like PCBs, PCP, pesticides and radon, and safely contains these chemicals over time.

 ECOR™ (Noble Environmental Technologies, USA)

Construction panels made from cow manure and other recycled content. ECOR, a line of low-weight, construction panels made with bovine processed fiber and post-consumer waste, offers an energy-efficient, sustainable means of producing furniture, displays, signage and numerous other products and designs.



And you should definitely subscribe to Material ConneXion's newsletters or even better, subscribe to their quarterly sample box Active Matters.


If you like this post, other blog articles that feature Innovative Material libraries, you should also read:

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