Seven uses of unconventional materials at Lake Como Design Festival
A lamp made of volcanic rock and a cork chair are among the products exhibited at Lake Como Design Festival that make use of unconventional materials. More
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Normal Phenomena of Life brand launches to sell biodesigned products
After years of exploring the merging of biotechnology with design, Natsai Audrey Chieza and Christina Agapakis have started what they describe as the "first biodesign lifestyle brand", which launched at London Design Festival. More
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NOWN's 3D-knitted products combine sound absorption and sustainable design
Promotion: architectural product manufacturer NOWN has developed a number of 3D-knitted products for architectural specifiers looking for sustainable acoustic surfaces. More
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Materials
Materials
US scientists develop "nanoscale" coating to combat spread of fires
A team of scientists from universities in the United States have developed a silicon-based coating that can help stop the spread of fires by preventing materials coming in contact with flame. More
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Materials
Materials
Bendable battery among sustainable materials at San Francisco exhibition
Local design firm Prowl Studio and investment company Baukunst have shown a variety of sustainable materials including aquatic plants meant for animal feed and an electric RV at a pop-up exhibition in San Francisco. More
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Overtreders W constructs hotel cabin from locally sourced materials secured with straps
Dutch architecture studio Overtreders W has created Stable Stack, a temporary cabin hotel built using straps and borrowed materials, in Veenhuizen, the Netherlands. More
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Materials
Materials
BioProsthesis uses human hair to create prosthetic nipples for breast cancer patients
Central Saint Martins graduate Arianna Pezzano has developed a way to make nipple prosthetics from keratin extracted from hair lost during chemotherapy, to help breast cancer patients "regain a sense of wholeness". More
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Materials
Materials
Materials "have so much more to give" says Natural Material Studio founder Bonnie Hvillum
Materials can become a much bigger part of our everyday lives and the way we see the world if people are willing to give up mass production, Natural Material Studio founder Bonnie Hvillum tells Dezeen in this interview. More
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Materials
Materials
Orbital Materials combines ChatGPT with physics to invent "transformational materials"
The first materials designed by AI could be less than 18 months away, according to Orbital Materials CEO Jonathan Godwin, who aims to harness the technology to create materials to help with carbon capture. More
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Materials
Materials
DR Horton builds North Carolina house with grass-based ceiling and wall panels
North Carolina firm DR Horton has begun construction on a residential home using building materials from local technology studio Plantd, including panels made from compressed perennial grasses. More
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AI's "eye-watering" use of resources could be a hurdle to achieving climate goals, argue experts
The growth of AI will put an increased environmental burden on the planet, say experts who argue it's time to think about the invisible physical infrastructures of our technology. More
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Materials
Materials
Loop Loop develops "world's first plant-based aluminium dying process"
Dutch design studio Loop Loop has pioneered a process of adding colour to aluminium using pigments made from plants rather than petroleum. More
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Materials
Materials
US scientists prove that metal can heal itself
Scientists from Texas A&M University and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico have observed metal cracking and fusing back together, in a discovery that could pave the way for self-healing machines, vehicles and bridges. More
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Materials
Materials
DART Lab creates biodegradable concrete casts using sawdust
A research team at the University of Michigan has created biodegradable formwork out of sawdust in an attempt to mitigate wood waste in the process of laying concrete. More
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Studio Bark designs "sculptural forest" timber installation for Leeds City Square
Architecture practice Studio Bark has collaborated with artist Michael Pinsky to create the wooden Making A Stand installation, which aims to explore material life cycles and "stand in solidarity with climate protestors". More
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Eight projects with integrated cooling techniques that beat the heat
Passive cooling techniques in architecture, reflective paint and water-filled windows are featured among the methods that designers and architects are using to mitigate heat in energy-efficient ways. More
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Reset Materials exhibition shows building fragments made from eco-friendly materials
An exhibition has opened at Copenhagen Contemporary that suggests what a city made out of experimental biomaterials might look like. More
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ConForm adds "restrained yet rich" all-marble extension to Victorian house
London studio ConForm has added a marble side extension to a Victorian terraced house in Hampstead, London. More
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Alice Potts creates baseball caps with crystals made from human sweat
Designer Alice Potts has created a collection of baseball caps covered in crystals grown from the sweat of the people who have worn them. More
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Materials
Materials
Ganni unveils faux leather jacket made using bacteria instead of cowhide
Fashion brand Ganni and materials company Polybion have debuted a jacket grown by bacteria during the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen, marking a milestone for bacterial cellulose as a leather alternative. More
