Researchers at @uchicagopme in the US developed a wearable fabric that can cool down its wearers, but can also be applied in building and car design, and food storage. With global temperatures in the rise, cities have become “urban heat islands”, where stony materials like concrete buildings and pavements trap heat and increasing it. As 68 per cent of the population will live in cities by 2050, this poses a great and deadly problem. Existing cooling fabric works by reflecting the sun’s light in a diffuse pattern, so it doesn’t blind onlookers. However, in an urban heat island, the sun isn’t the only source of heat, with thermal radiation emitted from buildings and pavement. Sunlight is visible light, whereas radiation is infrared, so they have different wavelengths. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #materials #fabric #textile #urbanheatislands #climatechange #coolingfabrics #universityofchicago #materialdistrict #healingenvironment

A 100% waterproof wood composite, suitable for use in bathrooms. Woodio by @woodiodesign / More at MaterialDistrict.com #materialoftheday #materials #woodio #wood #woodcomposite #bathrooms #materialdistrict #interiordesign

Canadian company @PLEAXBuildingSystems developed a concrete material out of demolition waste, which they use to make LEGO-like interlocking building blocks. Called PLAEX-crete, the material of which the blocks are made is similar to concrete, but 35 per cent lighter and not susceptible to the same issues, such as water absorption, decomposition, splitting, and cracking. It is made of a wide range of difficult-to-process waste, including thermoplastic and waste construction aggregates. In total, the material consists of over 90 per cent recycled content. Using this material, the company developed a load-bearing core block. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #materials #concrete #lego #buildingblocks #plaexbuildingsystems #plaexcrete #recycledmaterials #materialdistrict

Floor elements made of gypsum fibre board and suitable for underfloor heating. Fermacell floor elements by James Hardie / More at MaterialDistrict.com #materialoftheday #materials #constructionmaterials #gypsum #underfloorheating #fermacell #materialdistrict

Design studio @Zirobio created pencils in which the graphite of the lead has been replaced with waste coffee grounds. Globally, we consume 3.5 billion cups of coffee daily, which means a lot of coffee grounds are generated, about 11.8 million tons annually. These coffee grounds have been put to good use, such as to make anything from bioplastic to textile dye. Now, a new use has arrived: as pigment in a pencil. Called Grind Z, the project was inspired by coffee stains on clothes. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #materials #coffeegrounds #recycledmaterials #biobasedmaterials #grindz #zirobio #materialdistrict #pencillead #pencils #coffee

The material is super strong and resistant to water, UV radiation and chemicals. Discarded firehose by @Eversomdesign / More at MaterialDistrict.com #materialoftheday #materials #firehose #productdesign #interiordesign #eversom #materialdistrict

Germany-based designer @Eva.Ausmann designed a lamp stands upright and is controlled by air. Called Squeeze, the project is the result of experimenting with air as a design principle. The lamp is made of TPU coated nylon. Welded joints and fixtures function solely with the force of air, without the need for connecting elements like screws. The lamp is lightweight and can be deflated for easy transportation. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #materialinspiration #materials #nylon #lamp #lighting #tablelamp #squeeze #evaausmann #design #productdesign #inflatable

PIR and PUR residues, depending on purity and impurities, are returned to raw materials that are used in the production of high-quality PIR insulation. Recycled PIR insulation by InSus https://materialdistrict.com/material/recycled-pir-insulation/ #materialoftheday #materials #recycledmaterials #insus #pir #recycledpirinsulation #materialdistrict #constructionmaterials