Posts Tagged: materials
Sustainability By Design
The Zollverein industrial complex in Essen, Germany, comprises of an imposing set of largely red brick and steel buildings and structures built in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was once a hive of heavy industry, driven by the coal mines within, but is now considered a monument to the Industrial Revolution with certain parts… Read More >
Cherished Earth!
When was the last time you fully took note of the ground beneath your feet or admired the texture of the earth in which we exist upon between your fingertips? Van Abbe opening Soils 2024. Photo Almicheal Fraay In ever-increasingly urban environments, it’s sometimes difficult to fully appreciate the planet for what it truly is…. Read More >
A conversation between: Jim Biddulph & Rombout Frieling
“Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it; it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.” While still a resonant piece of advice from Baz Luhrmann’s hit single Everyone’s Free To Wear Sunscreen (one for the millennials), the reality of following it is… Read More >
A conversation between: Jim Biddulph & Grant Gibson, Material Matters
For anyone with even a mild interest in material innovation the second edition of the Material Matters Fair, which took place in the Bargehouse at Oxo Tower Wharf during last months London Design Festival, was the place to go. Intent on highlighting the significance of ‘material intelligence’ and the many positive applications that can spawn… Read More >
Conscious Materials
Sometimes it can feel like we live in a time of perpetual turmoil. The never-ending news feed shows a steady stream of negativity and indeed we consume media in myriad and omnipresent forms ways, which can often feel like there’s no escape, and even very little hope to cling. Having experienced a British summer of… Read More >
Milan Material Discoveries 2023: Part 2
While materials have always played a central role in the process of designing and constructing our built environments, their significance has perhaps never been so underscored than what we have witnessed over the past decade or so. Independent material libraries and material-focused exhibitions nestled among the many furniture offerings at international trade shows are a… Read More >
New Talent at Surface Design Show
Surface Design Show, the UK’s leading event for architects and designers to explore the best in surface material innovation, is getting ready to welcome over 120 exhibitors to its 2022 show including over 35 confirmed New Talents. In partnership with Canon UK and curated by Trendease International’s Jennifer Castodi, the New Talent exhibitors will feature… Read More >
Reactive surfaces
It is customary to try and start the year with a rejuvenated approach, a fresh perspective, a healthy dollop of hope, and plenty of plans. Like so many, I began last year in this manner, only to find us all in the strangest of circumstances merely weeks into proceedings. Sadly, it cannot be said that… Read More >
Trends in Architectural Materials
Which materials are being used in the most interesting ways right now? As well as constantly searching for brand-new materials, we should also seek to test our creativity – as well as thinking about the environment – by considering new uses for existing materials too. As a studio, we’re particularly interested in sustainable materials that… Read More >
Morgan Put a New Spin on Classic Materials
Morgan, one of the UK’s most respected contract furniture designer and manufacturers, announces new material options available for the Modena, Rakino and Kaya collections: terrazzo and cane. [Find Morgan through BCFA Product Finder] Traditional, natural materials are experiencing a renaissance as designers reimagine and reinvigorate these beloved styles, embracing feelings of nostalgia while adding a… Read More >
Edmund Bell: Memphis Brights
Following on from Edmund Bell’s Raw Japanese blog, the third trend they explore in their Global Traveller series is Memphis Brights. Memphis design… love it or hate it! Memphis is a design movement that began in 1981 – while the name might make you think that it was born in Tennesse, it got it started in Milan, Italy. Designer Ettore Sottsass founded the… Read More >
Spectacular Speckles
The last couple of years have born witness to a seemingly unprecedented rise in the use of the speckle within the world of interiors. Noticing this set me to wondering why this might be; it feels like quite a specific aesthetic after all. In truth, the speckle has a deep-rooted history within our built environments…. Read More >
Pouring Perfection
Our material of choice for this month has been water and whilst it’s influence upon design might not be obvious, it is in fact vital in the creation of a particular type of surface material that can be found in most interior environments around the world. Mineral composites like plaster and Jesmonite will forever remain… Read More >