materialsnooze

Materials and Design Exchange

2011-05-04T18:15:00.005-05:00

The Design Exchange - brings together the communities of design and materials technology in order to stimulate innovation, promote the transfer of materials knowledge and improve the competitiveness of UK business.
The Design Exchange is part of the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), forging a link between designers and other sectors of the KTN concerned with metals, plastics, textiles and the full range of modern materials.
The Design Exchange offers a physical resource in the form of a Materials Resource Centre (MRC). MRC is filled with shelves of small material and component samples in slots. Samples range from hemp fibres and paper made from recycled sheep poo to flooring systems made from an aluminium honeycomb core sandwiched between glass skins and expanded PTFE vascular prostheses.

Location: London
Twitter: matktnmade

ARCHITERIALS.com

2011-05-04T17:33:00.003-05:00

A site that provides information about materials and technology and will connect people who are developing biopolymers, digital fabrication techniques, solid-state lighting, thermochromatic inks, etc. with people who are interested in working with them. ARCHITERIALS.com presents products that are new, interesting, and useful; projects that push materials to their edge; as well as projects that re-use or re-purpose materials in unexpected ways.

Key personnel: Alli Dryer
Twitter: ARCHITERIALS

Harvard Graduate School of Design Material Collection

2011-04-08T21:51:00.003-05:00

Revolutionary new materials and methods of fabrication are having a profound impact on the continuing evolution of design thinking. The impact is felt in many areas, including design methods, the conception of form, and modes of production.

Explorations in material research at Harvard's Graduate School of Design find expression through publications, exhibitions, colloquia, and course offerings that explore the research interests of members of the faculty. Examples of materials from commercial vendors and materials resulting from faculty/student research are gathered in the Materials Collection. The collection database can be searched to discover material examples and vendor contacts.

Location: Cambridge
Blog: GSD Materials Collection

RISD Materials Resource Center

2011-04-08T21:32:00.004-05:00

The RISD Materials Resource Center is a place to explore materials and discover new methods and processes which can lead to new sources of inspiration and creativity. This space will be a place to discover new materials across disciplines, to observe applications of foreign materials and ideas, and even to test drive some of these materials yourself.
Location: Providence
Blog: RISD Materials Library
Key personnel: Mark Pompelia, Visual Resources Librarian. Alecia Underhill, Supervisor, Picture Collection

Material Stories

2011-04-04T19:06:00.001-05:00

Aart van Bezooyen is a Dutch designer who lives and works in Hamburg. He received a masters degree in industrial design from the Delft University of Technology for originating the Material Explorer, a materials selection support tool for designers. Material Stories is where he brings together his experience in industrial design and passion for materials. He inspires and enables the best use of materials in order to make design more competitive, creative and sustainable.
Twitter: materialstories

Materialbiblioteket

2011-02-22T20:02:00.000-06:00

Materialbiblioteket is the only materials library in Sweden. In the materials showroom in Stockholm professional industrial designers, product developers and architects can, free of charge, find information and inspiration from more than 2000 exhibited materials, manufacturing methods and surface treatments. The materials selection is based on what is currently interesting the Scandinavian designer community. Visitors at Materialbiblioteket work for the big swedish architect offices or design for companies such as IKEA, Electrolux, SAAB, Volvo, SonyEricson, H&M and Scania.

Materialbiblioteket also give talks and lectures on current and future materials trends. These presentations also focus on Swedish and Scandinavian materials trends for industrial design and architecture.

Materialbiblioteket conducts materials scouting for designdriven companies. This is a service most often used by global companies interested in a Swedish angle on materials trends for industrial design.

Materialbiblioteket also give talks and lectures on current and future materials trends. These presentations also focus on Swedish and Scandinavian materials trends for industrial design and architecture.

Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Key personnel: Björn Florman, Oliver Schmidt

New Materials Resource Center

2011-02-20T20:35:00.000-06:00

Located at the California College of the Arts, the New Materials Resource Center offers a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary collection of new and innovative samples. The collection currently includes over eighteen hundred samples, cataloged in a database searchable by properties, usage, or manufacturer.
Location: San Francisco, CA
Key personnel: Jake Sollins, archivist

Video:

Inventables

2011-02-02T12:29:00.000-06:00

Inventables believes that it is currently too difficult for designers, artists, and inventors to source materials. To solve this problem, we are building an online store that will streamline the process of innovation and inspire everyone - regardless of profession - to explore what’s possible.
Blog: Materials Blog by Inventables
Location: Chicago
Key personnel: Zach Kaplan - Founder and CEO
Twitter: Inventables

CORE-Materials

2010-10-27T17:44:00.004-05:00

The CORE-Materials repository contains 1329 open educational resources (OERs) in Materials Science and Engineering, freely available under a range of Creative Commons licenses. Check out their blog here.
Location: Liverpool
Twitter: CORE_Materials

Sustainable Materials

2010-04-26T18:58:00.003-05:00

Sustainable Materials: Highlighting Sustainability

Another new database, keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Perkins+Will Precautionary List

2009-11-30T16:07:00.002-06:00

The goal of the list is to highlight chemicals that are listed by government agencies as having negative health issues and to associate them with the classes of building materials where they might be commonly found. The Precautionary List, which was unveiled at GreenBuild 2009, also describes available alternatives in an effort to push the building industry to embrace healthier buildings.

Access by builders and architect as well as the public is free. The list features 25 chemicals broken into typical building categories such as wood treatments, indoor air quality, ozone depleting gasses and heavy metals. Each entry describes the chemical and provides links to vetted government databases, such as California’s Proposition 65 list developed by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, which catalogs chemicals and their known health hazards.

Selectingmaterials

2009-11-03T23:17:00.001-06:00

Selectingmaterials is a place where we will analyse digital tools for material selection. We also want to study the history and other aspects of material selection.

The website and the research is being done by Pedro Ramalhete. He holds M.A. in Design, Materials and Product Management at the University of Aveiro.

raumPROBE

2009-11-03T22:35:00.009-06:00

raumPROBE is a materials consultancy from Germany. Offerings include a materials library and free online database.
Key personnel: Hannes Bäuerle, Joachim Stumpp
Location: Stuttgart
Books:
Raumproben: Aktuelle Materialien für Architektur und Design (2009)
Raumproben²: Neue Materialien für Architektur und Design (2007)

Materia

2009-10-22T18:14:00.000-05:00

Materia is an international independent material information platform for the creative professional. We select worldwide innovative materials for architects, interior decorators and designers. The materials we present are published through the Material Explorer, newsletters, exhibitions and fairs.
Location: Enter, The Netherlands
Key personnel: Els Zijlstra - Creative Director

Free materials database search (registration required)

Video:

Material ConneXion

2009-09-14T23:51:00.000-05:00

Material ConneXion is a global materials consultancy that creates innovation through strategic material selections. Built on the belief that Every Idea Has a Material Solution, the company advises Fortune 500s, smaller forward-thinking companies and government agencies seeking a creative or competitive-edge through material innovations.
Location: New York, Bangkok, Cologne, Daegu, Milan
Key personnel: Andrew Dent - Vice President of Materials and Library Research, Cynthia Tyler - Senior Research Scientist
Books:
Ultra Materials: How Materials Innovation Is Changing the World (2007)
Material ConneXion: The Global Resource of New and Innovative Materials for Architects, Artists and Designers (2005)
Videos:

Andrew Dent "Sustainability through Materials Innovation" via Design Green Now

Michael Ashby

2009-09-03T12:25:00.000-05:00

Michael Ashby (who co-authored Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design with Kara Johnson) has another book on the environmental aspects of materials selection, looks very interesting!

Book: Materials and the Environment: Eco-informed Material Choice (2009)
As concern for the environment grows, there is a corresponding trend among colleges and universities worldwide to incorporate sustainability into engineering education. Addressing this growing trend "Materials and the Environment," by renowned materials authority Mike Ashby, is the first book devoted exclusively to the environmental aspects of materials, a core subject area for undergraduate students in several engineering disciplines, including mechanical, materials, civil, aerospace, manufacturing and design. With in-depth coverage of such topics as material consumption and its drivers, the material lifecycle, eco-informed material selection, renewable materials and sustainability, along with eco-profiles of more than 60 widely used materials, this book will appeal not only to instructors of materials science and selection courses, but to professional materials engineers and product designers as well.

Stylepark

2009-08-27T15:11:00.003-05:00

Stylepark Material Editions provide designers, interior designers, architects and materials enthusiasts with a completely new way of accessing materials: For each Material Edition, the Material editorial team compiles 20-60 A5-size material samples on selected themes determined by substance group, characteristics or fields of application.
Detailed information on every single material is available in the Stylepark database and can be accessed using a web code found on the sample. The Material Editions are delivered in a specially designed plastic box.
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Material Ocean

2009-08-27T14:44:00.005-05:00

Material Ocean is an online magazine dedicated to providing designers from around the globe with information on the latest and most interesting materials available. Material Ocean features technical specs and information, designers who have previously used it, designs it has been used in, how & who manufactures and processes it and all the many other important things designers want to know about materials.
Key personnel: Raph Goldsworthy - Editor
Twitter: materialocean

Materials Monthly™

2009-08-03T10:22:00.004-05:00

Materials Monthly is a subscription-based publication providing hands-on access to state of the art materials and allowing designers to easily build a library that expands and supports their work. Designed as a system for shelving and cataloging, Materials Monthly™ regularly brings you a sampling of new and innovative material samples and product sheets that include graphics, material descriptions and technical, performance, and sustainability specifications; the manufacturing process; design applications and examples; and product history and sourcing options.

Their website may be a little out of date, but the sales staff assures me this is still an active service!

Ecolect

2009-08-02T18:12:00.006-05:00

Ecolect provides resources to achieve sustainable design. We work across many different disciplines including Architecture, Industrial Design, Fashion, Engineering, and Construction. Through our site you’ll find material, technology and design information and resources with the goal of improving the environmental performance of spaces, products, and services. Ecolect provides a range of consulting services to help companies understand and successfully interact with their target consumers when it comes to integrating and communicating sustainability.
Location: Providence
Key personnel: Matt Grigsby - CEO & Co-founder, Joe Gebbia - President & Co-founder
Twitter: ecolect
Video:

Matt Grigsby CEO of Ecolect.net

ASM/Mtrl

2009-07-07T10:04:00.003-05:00

/Mtrl is an industry initiative aimed at providing designers with “material about materials.” The initiative is the brainchild of ASM International, The Materials Information Society, which has been the leading resource for the advancement of materials knowledge for nearly 100 years.
Aimed at designers ranging from industrial and consumer product design to architects and interior designers, /Mtrl’s wealth of materials information is provided through first-hand experience, interactive workshops, sample books, and more. Their materials database is powered by Granta Design.
Key personnel: Laura Marshall - Director of Business Initiatives, Chris Lefteri - Visionary in residence

IDSA Professional Interest Sections

2009-06-26T09:34:00.005-05:00

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is the voice of the industrial design profession, advancing the quality and positive impact of design. IDSA's Professional Interest Sections provide information on the latest design trends, news and commentary in different fields.

IDSA Materials + Processes Section has a web blog to serve as a source of information for industrial designers on materials, manufacturing processes and their relationship to the creative process of industrial design.
Twitter: idsamp

IDSA Ecodesign features selected links on materials topics.

Green Chemicals

2009-06-25T15:07:00.008-05:00

Green Chemicals - Monitoring the development of green within the chemical industry. This blog examines alternative processing, new technology, R&D and other sustainability initiatives aimed at preventing pollution; replacing ingredients; and using renewable feedstocks in Green Chemistry.
Twitter: ICISgreenblog
Key personnel: Doris de Guzman - Associate Editor for ICIS Chemical Business

Modulor

2009-02-22T14:51:00.006-06:00

With a unique selection of materials such as plastic, rubber, cardboard, paper, wood, cork, metal and textiles. Modulor's customers are professional designers from all fields, in particular architects, model makers, decorators and promoters. At Modulor you will find all materials in a unique variety of colours, shapes and structures. Also offers a consulting service on new materials, manufacturing processes and product development.
Location: Berlin
Key personnel: Dr. Sascha Peters - director of Modulor's Centre for Material Expertise

matériO

2009-02-20T13:39:00.007-06:00

matériO is an independent professional network of innovation surveillance, dedicated to new materials and technologies. It offers at the same time a physical library regrouping thousands of new and innovative material samples, an exhaustive online database, and a team of experts located around the world. matériO deals with the different aspects of materials, including the inspiration and innovation resulting from them.
Locations: Paris, Antwerp, Barcelona
Key personnel: Quentin Hirsinger and Elodie Ternaux - Directors
Book: Materiology: The Creative's Guide to Materials and Technologies
Video: matériO is featured in this Material Sustainability episode of Trendease.tv
Twitter: matériO

Material Lab

2009-02-20T13:24:00.005-06:00

In January 2006 H & R Johnson created and opened the award winning Material Lab design resource centre in London, offering designers and architects an environment where products such as ceramics, glass, wallpaper, carpet tiles, trims, eco-resins, fabrics and many more materials can be explored. Material Lab offers designers and architects an environment to discuss projects, explore the potential of tiles and discover new materials... an inspirational resource that combines tiles with other innovative materials.

Materials Library

2009-02-20T13:10:00.004-06:00

Materials Library is an interdisciplinary collaborative team that make objects, events and exhibitions that foreground materiality. We are also engaged in both scientific research and artistic practices that explore the senso-aesthetics of materials.
At the heart of all we do is the creation, curation and development of the physical space that is The Materials Library; a resource, laboratory, studio, workshop, and play pen for the material minded. A home to some of the most wondrous matter on earth, The Materials Library contains an ongoing collection of material-objects that foreground the materiality of stuff.
Location: London
Key personnel: Zoe Laughlin - Curator, Mark Miodownik, Martin Conreen

Rematerialise Eco-Smart Materials

2009-02-20T12:53:00.003-06:00

The Rematerialise project is based in the school of 3D Design at Kingston University. The vision is to compile and maintain a versatile collection of 'Eco-Smart' materials, which by their very nature provide a range of environmentally responsible alternatives to other resource hungry materials.

Blaine Brownell

2009-02-03T10:51:00.000-06:00

Transstudio is an organization created by architect, materials researcher, and sustainable building advisor Blaine Brownell with the intent to promote awareness, provide resources, and stimulate creative thinking about design, materials and the physical environment.
Books:
Transmaterial 2: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine Our Physical Environment (2008)
Transmaterial: A Catalog of Materials That Redefine our Physical Environment (2005)

Video:
Blaine Brownell Pop!Cast (2006)

IDES Prospector

2009-02-03T08:27:00.005-06:00

In September 2008 we launched a new search in the Prospector plastics search engine called Green Plastics Search. The intent of this new service is to help plastics professionals access green plastics that are biodegradable, include recycled content, or are derived from renewable resources.
Since bioplastics has become such an important topic, we chose to develop a green plastics search to help industry professionals select eco-friendly materials. Data in the Prospector plastics search engine highlights more than 210 green materials from suppliers including BASF, Dow Plastics, DuPont Engineering Polymers, Eastman Chemical Group, Ecoplast, NatureWorks LLC, SABIC Innovative Plastics, and many more.

Another great FREE resource (registration required).

Industrial Design Techniques and Materials

2009-02-03T07:45:00.003-06:00

This comprehensive work traces the history of design materials, from the origins of mass production during the Industrial Revolution to contemporary use of wood, metals, and synthetics as well as their potential applications for the future. This exhaustive reference covers late nineteenth-century design implications, contemporary design materials and their uses, and design trends—from the influences of information technology on design conception to ecological design considerations.
Book: Industrial Design Techniques and Materials (2006)

Core77

2009-02-02T21:06:00.002-06:00

Since 1995 Core77.com has served a devoted global audience of industrial designers ranging from students through seasoned professionals. Core77 publishes articles, discussion forums, an extensive event calendar, hosts portfolios, job listings, a database of design firms, schools, vendors and services. Core77 provides a gathering point for designers and enthusiasts alike by producing design competitions, lecture series, parties, and exhibits.
Core77 materials blog and materials and processes forum

Raw // Råvara

2009-02-02T19:31:00.008-06:00

Note: This company appears to out of business as their website is no longer active.

Inspiration for Designers, Architects & Product Developers // Marketing for Materials & Production Techniques
Our ambition is to make it easier for designers, architects and product developers to find new as well as traditional materials and methods of production.
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Key personnel: Anders Breitholtz - CEO / Publisher
Video:

Robin Reigi

2009-02-02T18:50:00.000-06:00

Robin Reigi Inc. is a unique architectural resource company that provides innovative materials and processes to architects and interior designers worldwide. They are a source for the architect or interior designer to call upon whenever they are looking for anything in the area of materials; artisan related services or manufactured products. The Robin Reigi collection boasts practical aesthetic solutions for a wide range of interior architectural challenges.
Location: New York
Key personnel: Robin Reigi - Founder, Jennifer Daly - Partner

Kara Johnson

2009-02-02T07:28:00.007-06:00

Kara Johnson leads the materials team at IDEO, a group that views the creative use of materials as a tool for inspiration and implementation of design strategies. She specializes in the issues relating to the presentation of material information to product designers, specifically, industrial designers.
Book: Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design (2002)

Materialsgate

2009-01-31T23:21:00.015-06:00

Materialsgate presents actual knowledge, competent information as well as customer oriented communication in the world of materials and materials application. Our service materials consultation contains the definition, construction and equalization of profiles of characteristics and requirements to the optimal employment of materials in all fields of application. Apart from the discussion of suitable methods of manufacture and processing, also activities of brainstorming, processes of idea identification and exciting material transfers fall into this field of activity.
Location: Groß-Zimmern, Germany
Key personnel: Christoph Konetschny

Material Sense

2009-01-30T18:18:00.001-06:00

Material Sense is a dynamic organisation linking designers, researchers and cutting-edge companies in an active network. By sharing expertise and collaborating in the exploration of the properties of materials, new products and new ways of utilizing materials are created. Material Sense lobbies for a materials-oriented design and development of products.
Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Key personnel: Simone de Waart

Materials Lab

2009-01-17T17:46:00.003-06:00

The University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture Materials Lab is one of the largest and most comprehensive material collections of its kind at any college or university in the country, if not the world. Currently, the Materials Lab has a growing collection, currently standing at 25,000 + material samples and corresponding product literature (manufacturer catalogues, brochures, multimedia, etc.). The collection mainly consists of traditional building construction materials; however, it strives to be reflective of the current building and design market and has a particular focus on smart, innovative, emerging and sustainable design materials and technologies
Location: Austin, TX
Key personnel: Zaneta Hong, Materials Lab Curator, School of Architecture

Green Building Resource Center

2009-01-04T23:22:00.000-06:00

The Green Building Resource Center at the Chicago Center for Green Technology is an invaluable tool for those interested in learning about sustainability, green technology, and green building. We are a non-profit organization open to the public six days a week. The Green Building Resource Center is accessible to anyone - from green building experts to students and homeowners. Our resources include:

Knowledgeable staff
BuildingGreen Kiosk - Featuring full public access to the BuildingGreen Suite
Sample Library of eco-friendly building and design materials
Reference books & web resources
US Green Building Council - LEED reference materials
Periodicals, newsletters and industry journals

Chris Lefteri

2008-12-16T21:47:00.003-06:00

Chris Lefteri Design Ltd is in a unique position to bridge the gap between the material industries and the design community. We are designers through to the bone, but we are equally passionate about getting our hands dirty with materials – the kind of passion that will drive Chris Lefteri to write many hugely successful books on the subject and travel across the world to give talks and design exhibitions to get the point across.

Books:
Plastics Handbook (2008)
Making It: Manufacturing Techniques for Product Design (2007)
Materials for Inspirational Design (2007)
Plastics 2 (Materials for Inspirational Design) (2006)
Wood (Materials for Inspirational Design) (2005)
Metals (Materials for Inspirational Design) (2004)
Glass: Materials for Inspirational Design (2004)
Ceramics (Materials for Inspirational Design) (2003)
Plastic: Materials for Inspirational Design (2001)
Twitter: chrislefteri