The project Sit On A Knit by industrial knitter and engineer @rebekkabeate explores the opportunities and limitations of 3D knitting through the design of a chair. Typically, textiles are manufactured flat, in large panels, through knitting or weaving. They are then cut and sewn together to make garments and upholstery. 3D knitting on an industrial machine gives the possibility to shape the fabric during the production process, which saves on material and labour. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #3dknitting #furnituredesign #sitonaknit #rebekkagroeneveld #materialdistrict

Design studio @Studio_Ryte designed a super lightweight experimental stool made of a flax fibre composite. Called Triplex Stool, the stool is an experimental piece of furniture that “pushes the physical limits of a stool; from structure to weight; assembly process to after-life.” Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #flax #flaxreinforced #pla #stool #triplexstool #furnituredesign #composites #biocomposites #studioryte #materialdistrict

A biodegradable expanded insulation material with properties comparable to those of of EPS (Styrofoam). BioFoamPearls by Thermokomfort / More at MaterialDistrict.com #materialoftheday #materials #biobasedmaterials #insulation #biobasedinsulation #biobasedeps #thermokomfort #materialdistrict

Dutch sustainable construction materials company @_StoneCycling in collaboration with Belgium studio @CircularMatters developed an interior wall cladding material made of waste corn cobs. Maize is one of the most common crops on the planet and cultivated nearly everywhere. The cob has no nutritious value and is therefore normally fermented, used for biogas or are simply left on the field. In all cases, the carbon the cobs have stored while they grew is released again. To counter this, StoneCycling and Circular Matters decided to use the corn cobs to make an interior wall cladding material, keeping the CO2 locked in during the material’s lifetime. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #materials #interiordesign #furnituredesign #sheetmaterial #biobasedmaterials #biodegradablematerials #stonecycling #circularmatters #materialdistrict #corncobs #tiles

It is the natural array of dark spots that gives leather from the spotted wolffish a bold, unique character. Wolffish Leather by @nordicfishleather / More at MaterialDistrict.com #materialoftheday #materials #leather #fishleather #wolffishleather #nordicfishleather #matreialdistrict #fashiondesign #productdesign #interiordesign

Shanghai-based interior design studio RooMoo used around 6,000 pieces of discarded wooden whiskey barrels to create the out- and indoor area of the whiskey bar Lai Zhou Bar. The bar is an offshoot of Lai Zhou Distillery, a Chinese whiskey producer based in the Sichuan province. The building consists of a whisky tasting area, VIP room, bar area, kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor seating area. The wood pieces as well as the barrel rings were used throughout the whole bar. Read more at https://materialdistrict.com/article/a-distillerys-interior-made-of-discarded-distillery-barrels/ #materialinspriation #materials #wood #recycledwood #distillery #reclaimedwood #whiskey #whiskeybarrels #laizhouwdistillery #laizhoubar #roomoo #materialdistrict #interiordesign #facades #architecture

The aggregate material absorbs and stores energy from ambient light (UV rays) during the day, and releases this energy at night, making the particles glow. Starpath by @nevana_designs / More at Materialdistrict.com #materialoftehday #materials #roads #glowinthedark #urbandesign #starpath #nevanadesign #materialdistrict

Researchers at @Stanford University in the US developed insulating paint in multiple colours that can keep buildings cooled in summer and warmer in winter, reducing energy use, costs and greenhouse emissions. The heating and cooling of spaces accounts for about 13 per cent of global energy use, and about 11 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Other low-emissivity paints usually have a metallic silver or grey colour, which limits their use aesthetically. The new paint works with two layers that are applied separately. The first one is an infrared reflective bottom layer using aluminium flakes. The second one is an ultra-thin, infrared transparent upper layer, made with inorganic nanoparticles that come in many colours. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #materials #paints #insulation #energytransition #stanforduniversity #materialdistrict