Material of the day: Recovered Cellulose Acetate 🚬♻️ Developed by @ooliviagino, this innovative textile is made from recycled cigarette filters, transforming one of the most common yet overlooked waste streams into a valuable material resource. After purification, the cellulose acetate fibres are processed into a soft, felt-like nonwoven with a distinctive texture. Through a combination of felting and embroidery, the material achieves a balance between softness and structure, subtly revealing its unconventional origin. Recovered Cellulose Acetate demonstrates how post-consumer waste can be reintroduced into the textile industry through creative and circular design. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com 👉 Discover this material and many more at MaterialDistrict Utrecht 📍 Werkspoorkathedraal, Utrecht 📅 4–6 March 🎟️ Get your ticket now via link in bio #MaterialoftheDay #Material #RecoveredCelluloseAcetate #RecycledMaterials #TextileInnovation #CircularDesign #MaterialDistrict #MDUtrecht

A new synthetic turf football pitch using recycled and biobased materials has been installed at amateur football club FC Weesp in the Netherlands. @gemeenteamsterdam commissioned the project as a pilot, with support from the European Union. The aim was to test whether a synthetic pitch could meet professional playing standards while using fewer virgin materials and lowering environmental impact. The project is relevant for landscape architects, architects and urban designers working on sports facilities and public outdoor spaces. It also offers insight for designers interested in circular material systems. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #MaterialInspiration #Materials #RecycledMaterials #CircularDesign #SyntheticTurf #LandscapeArchitecture #SustainableDesign #BiobasedMaterials #SportsInfrastructure

The exhibition Stratagems by US-based artist Tara Donovan explores how large quantities of identical waste materials can form new spatial systems. The works consist entirely of thousands of discarded compact discs, a post-consumer plastic product that has largely lost its original function. By repeating and stacking the CDs, Donovan transforms a familiar object into a continuous surface. Individual discs become part of a larger material system. Their original identity fades, while new visual and spatial qualities emerge. This approach reflects design research methods that focus on structure, repetition and material behaviour rather than material composition. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com @icasanfrancisco #MaterialInspiration #RecycledMaterials #CircularDesign #MaterialInnovation #ReusedPlastics #ArchitecturalSurfaces #LightResponsiveMaterials #SustainableDesign

Join our exhibitor @palet.company at MaterialDistrict Utrecht 2026 and discover ceramic tiles, unique by design. Palet is not your traditional tile maker. By bringing design, code, and craft together, Palet makes custom ceramic tiles simple and accessible. Built by a small team with backgrounds in digital design and ceramics, Palet translates digital product thinking into beautifully crafted surfaces for interior spaces. Since launching their surface design system in 2021, Palet has enabled the creation of over 300,000 unique tile designs via palet.shop. You design, they make — starting from just one square meter, suitable for projects of any scale, from private homes to large hospitality interiors. 🌱 Why visit? ✨ Explore fully custom ceramic tile designs ✨ Discover how digital tools meet ceramic craftsmanship ✨ Get inspired by flexible surface solutions for any interior project 📅 When? 4 – 6 March 2026 📍 Where? Stand E27, Werkspoorkathedraal, Utrecht 🎟️ Tickets via link in bio #MaterialDistrictUtrecht #MDU2026 #MaterialDistrict #Palet #CeramicTiles

This material merges traditional craftsmanship with advanced technology, using natural, recyclable clay and living moss to create sustainable, functional, and visually captivating surfaces. Bio-receptive 3D printed ceramics by @ious.studio / More at MaterialDistrict.com #MaterialoftheDay #Materials #3DPrinting #AdditiveManufacturing #Clay #Moss #Architecture

Concrete is one of the most widely used materials in the built environment. Only water is consumed in larger quantities worldwide. Each year, global cement production exceeds four billion tonnes, contributing to roughly eight per cent of global CO₂ emissions. Alongside these emissions, the construction industry faces another growing challenge: a shortage of suitable sand. Concrete does not work with just any sand. Builders need grains of a specific size and shape, which usually come from crushed rock or riverbeds. Large-scale sand extraction damages ecosystems, alters landscapes, and disrupts water systems. At the same time, vast deserts hold enormous amounts of sand that remain unused because the grains are too fine for conventional concrete. Researchers are now asking whether this so-called useless sand can become a valuable resource. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com @ntnu @utokyo_pr #MaterialInspiration #Materials #DesertSand #SustainableConcrete #MaterialInnovation #BiobasedMaterials #CircularConstruction #LandscapeArchitecture #ArchitectureMaterials

‘Flight Into Shadow’ is a research-based installation that studies how light and shadow influence thermal comfort and spatial perception in heat-stressed urban environments. @th_deggendorf developed the project together with @hft_stuttgart and @unistuttgart (IBK2). The installation was presented during the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 as part of the Keep Cool! – Workshop for Cool Cities programme. The project creates a controlled indoor environment in which solar conditions are simulated. As a result, the researchers can study light intensity, shading and material behaviour without depending on outdoor weather. This setup allows for a clear analysis of how spatial design can influence comfort in warm conditions. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com #MaterialInspiration #Materials #ClimateAdaptiveDesign #LightingDesign #Mycelium #BiobasedMaterials #SustainableArchitecture #MaterialInnovation #CircularDesign

Material of the day: Bulrush Leather 🌾✨ Developed by @manusaurs, this biobased and biodegradable leather-like material is made from bulrush fibres and seeds, bonded with plant-based cellulose. Each sheet features a warm, organic texture and a unique fibre pattern, combining flexibility with subtle translucency. Created as part of Reductio ad lermaense, a critical design project addressing the ecological crisis of Mexico’s Lerma wetlands, Bulrush Leather shows how environmental challenges can drive material innovation. Read more at MaterialDistrict.com 👉 Discover this material and many more at MaterialDistrict Utrecht 📍 Werkspoorkathedraal, Utrecht 📅 4–6 March 🎟️ Get your ticket now via link in bio #MaterialoftheDay #Material #BulrushLeather #BiobasedMaterials #Biodegradable #VeganLeather #MaterialInnovation #MaterialDistrict #MDUtrecht