Mosa uses raw materials and reused building products in its ceramic tiles. [Photo: Courtesy of Mosa]
Mosa
Few companies are as sustainable as Mosa. This ceramic tile manufacturer uses raw materials, reuses building products, and saves energy, all while creating innovative ceramic floor tiles, wall tiles, and facade cladding. The company also regularly publishes its environmental developments. With more than 130 years of experience, Mosa is a global leader in the ceramic tile industry. The manufacturing company recently won the Gold Cradle to Cradle Challenge Award, where leading architects rated companies’ complete sustainability strategies based on environmental criteria.
EchoPanel Balance Tiles
Now you can combat sound control issues without sacrificing sophistication. Woven Image’s EchoPanel Balance Tiles absorb sound while transforming plain walls into works of art. Distributed exclusively in North America by Kirei, these peel-and-stick modular acoustic design tiles control sound and add unique pattern and color to any space. Available in nine colors to meet your needs—from neutral beige to vibrant red—Balance Tiles are an effortless design solution to everyday sound control problems.
The New Raw
What if you could print a city? The New Raw, a research and design studio based in the Netherlands, is exploring this idea and many more. Its ongoing Print Your City project involves using recyclable plastic waste for 3D printing public furniture. The New Raw focuses on boosting local production through material research and digital design. The organization has worked on a variety of research and building projects—from hyperlocal fabrication in refugee camps to decentralized production in islands. Ultimately, the New Raw strives to innovate and rethink circular concepts.
ThinkPhi – Model 1080
This umbrella is for more than rainy days. ThinkPhi, an Indian clean-tech startup, created a large urban-style umbrella that can harvest and filter water while absorbing solar power. Model 1080 is a sunshade structure that generates its own energy to power a diffused lighting system. The smart “plug-and-play” system provides clean water and energy from two renewable resources: rain and sunlight. Functional and simple, Model 1080 is safe, wind-resistant, and cost-effective. Real-time sensors retrieve data and send system maintenance alerts to your phone.
The New Carbon Architecture: Building to Cool the Climate
This book explores how biomimicry-inspired innovations in building—from cities made of wood to insulation grown from mycelium—can help reduce carbon in the atmosphere. The author, Bruce King, is the founder and director of the Ecological Building Network (EBNet) and has been a structural engineer for 35 years. Published in November 2017 by New Society Publishers, The New Carbon Architecture illustrates the potential of architecture to heal the climate and produce safer, healthier, and more beautiful buildings.
This article appears in the March/April 2018 issue. Subscribe now.
