Designers often prefer the aesthetics of clear glass block. Apart from obviously different appearances and light properties, what are the ecological and performance advantages and differences between glass masonry and traditional bricks? To answer this question, our Research Team did a deep dive on both.
We used the following categories to differentiate these materials: Raw Materials, Size, Price, Thermal Conductivity, Strength, and Recyclability.
We can't say thank you enough to the users who are pushing the database. We have a feeling you'll find this week's new features exciting.
Material Search Filter: We've made searching for materials far more fun and intuitive. Start with the Material Categories, choose a filter and speed up your searches. If you've picked too many categories, just delete the categories you don't want from the filter bar.
How can you catalyze change for greener materials?
The most common question we are asked after lectures and trainings is, 'as an individual what can I do to help.' If you're like most designers, your client or your firm doesn't prioritize green design. Though this might exclude you from using state of the art conditioning systems, you can still drive green design with every project.
Privacy: Sensitive projects can now be made private and shared only with assigned team members. This new feature allows you to work on projects that no one else will see other than those you choose to. Look for the 'privacy' option within the 'edit project' page.
What materials can help you earn Green Building Certification points? Today most designers know a handful of keywords that can contribute to certification: recycled content, local, energy efficient, sustainably harvested, and waste materials.
As the head of sustainability for Haworth, my responsibilities are to reduce the impact our projects, as well as shifting our business to prepare for a world lacking in natural resources.
Fact: green design starts with green materials. There are heaps of green materials in the market today but designers don't have time to find all of them. We solve this problem by allowing users to add, share, and collect an exponential number of materials. Add materials to share new solutions and showcase your green expertise.
Manufacturers, Designers, Vendors, and Contractors.
Sustainable businesses seem to be everywhere. What makes them so isn't always apparent. Below is a graphical look at the range of sustainable businesses.
Model 01: Sustainable businesses are profitable.
By standard definition sustainable businesses at least break even. Below is a sustainable business when only profit is considered. Society and ecology are not considered and might be increasingly damaged as profits grow. This could be a cigarette company.
Projects. Find completed projects, construction projects, and projects on the boards to inspire your next design. Save projects you want to follow or add your own. For the next few weeks we'll be featuring a new green project, every day. Keep this page bookmarked to see when the new projects roll in.