Transmaterial » product

CarbonCure

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:11 +0000

CarbonCure is a precast concrete technology developed to sequester carbon dioxide. The CarbonCure Block System has been installed across North America at concrete manufacturing facilities to store CO2 within concrete masonry units during the production process, permanently locking away the greenhouse gas in the form of synthetic limestone. CO2 is injected into concrete through a modified core bar during the molding stage. The result is a more environmentally-responsible concrete product with equivalent performance and cost to traditional concrete.

In addition to sequestered CO2, CarbonCure blocks have a lower carbon footprint than traditional masonry units due to reductions in their steam curing temperature and cement content. As a result, the total CO2 emissions reduction is approximately 250 grams per block.

Contact: CarbonCure Technologies, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Coco Tiles

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:00:34 +0000

Made from reclaimed coconut shells, low-VOC resins and sustainably-harvested wood backer material, Kirei Coco Tiles may be used as decorative tiles or panels both horizontally and vertically. Featuring multiple pattern and color combinations and available in light, dark and mixed textures, the coconut shell tiles create a variety of surfaces and enhance the sustainable material palette in residential, commercial, and hospitality applications.

Contact: Kirei, Solana Beach, CA, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

SorbtiveMEDIA

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:00:41 +0000

Many lakes, ponds and rivers suffer from algae blooms and depleted dissolved oxygen as a direct result of excessive nutrients entering waterways after rainstorms. Phosphorus is the accelerant that causes algae blooms to grow rapidly. SorbtiveMEDIA is an oxide-coated water filtration system engineered to remove pollutants including phosphorus. It is produced from natural and recycled aggregates, and is applied in a wide variety of low-impact development landscape applications.

SorbtiveMEDIA is an appropriate solution for impaired watersheds or protecting water resources, with proven phosphorus treatment performance exceeding current North American regulations. Available in a variety of gradations or as porous concrete products, SorbtiveMEDIA can accommodate many landscape designs and stormwater treatment systems.

SorbtiveMEDIA can be flexibly applied to sand filters, infiltration trenches, and filter cartridges, and is also a perfect match for LID applications such as bioretention cells, rain gardens, gabion walls, porous concrete pavement and permeable pavers systems. SorbtiveMEDIA is a safe, non-hazardous material that does not decompose or leach captured pollutants.

Contact: Imbrium Systems, Rockville, MD, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

BBS Panels

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:00:42 +0000

BBS are structural solid wood panels made of sustainably harvested, fast-growth soft wood. By laminating longitudinal and cross layers (X-LAM), the natural forces of the wood (e.g. expanding, contracting, bending) are minimized to achieve great strength and stability. The panels are used primarily for structure, but can also provide a finished, exposed surface. The BBS panels are produced through a digital fabrication process where the shop drawings are transmitted to the plant as 3D CAD files. The panels are then CNC cut and shipped directly to the construction site.

Contact: Holzbuild, Briarcliff Manor, NY, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

SITumbra

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:00:22 +0000

SITumbra is a passive solar facade system that mediates between the seasons to reduce solar heat gain in summer and allow useful solar transmission in the winter. The shading configuration can be customized to suit regional locations and seasons. Not only does the system reduce solar heat gain, but it also provides thermal insulation. SITumbra is comprised by recyclable and renewable lightweight materials to offer structural strength, transparency and energy efficiency. The system is manufactured to customized specifications for size, geometry, color and materials.

Contact: SITumbra, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Terrewalks

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:00:22 +0000

Terrewalks is an alternative to concrete sidewalks, made of recycled tire rubber and reused PET plastic. Terrewalks is pervious and unbreakable, and suitable for all climates. The interlocking paving tiles assist groundwater recharge and heat island reduction, and provide a safe and comfortable walking surface. According to manufacturer Rubbersidewalks, one square foot of Terrewalks diverts 36 lbs. of waste rubber and plastic from landfills, and each 20 SF installation saves one tree from removal. In addition, the low-energy manufacturing process results in a low carbon footprint.

Contact: Rubbersidewalks, Inc., Fountain Valley, CA, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Liquid Display

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:00:12 +0000

The Liquid Display is an ambient display comprised by a screen filled with liquid and programmed air bubbles. Developed by Nicolas Büchi, the interface consists of multiple water or water-based emulsion filled cubes. The Liquid Display is intended to convey information discretely—approaching the limits of perception—rather than the increasingly saturated information exhibited by contemporary display technologies.

Contact: Nicolas Büchi, Basel, Switzerland.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Portal

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:00:57 +0000

In architecture, a doorway represents the transition from one space to another. Portal visually displays this moment of transition as a two-dimensional plane penetrated by light. As viewers watch light pass through the diffuser screen, clean lines become blurred and diffuse. Designed by James Clar, Portal celebrates the concept of a spatial threshold with abstract lines of light that travel back and forth through a door, effectively “bouncing” around a room. In addition, an integrated motion sensor detects the presence of visitors and the emitters select a random color palette for the light.

Contact: Traffic Design Gallery, Dubai, UAE.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Adaptive Shading

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:00:11 +0000

For an architectural project located in a desert climate, Hoberman Associates was asked to design a roof covering for an open-air plaza. They created a kinetic design that works off an operable grid. In its covered configuration, the shading roof appears similar to a coffered ceiling; yet when retracted, the roof becomes a slender lattice. In addition to shading, the system is designed protect visitors from high winds and dust storms.

Each unit is a self-contained, framed grid assembly consisting of multiple panels that extend and retract synchronously. Each whole unit actually comprises several openings that are driven by a single drive arm, making the system efficient and economic.

The grid shade’s simple, robust design provides opportunities for custom profiles and patterning. Hoberman has developed parametric design tools for designing customized configurations.

Contact: Hoberman Associates, New York, NY, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Metal Series

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:00:37 +0000

B.lab Italia’s “Metal Series” surfaces contain liquids infused with metal particles that are trapped within resilient a polymer shell. The result is an interactive floor tile or horizontal surface that responds to pressure as well as electric charge. Building occupants’ footsteps are temporarily recorded by the movement of fluids, and a high-level static charge will actually allow a prolonged “drawing” within the surface.

According to designers Gianfranco Barban and Gregg Brodarick, B-Surfaces Metal Surfaces are intended to transform movement into memory, appropriating the floor as a tool for creative expression. The liquids contained within B-Surfaces are non-toxic, and tiles should be laid on smooth horizontal surfaces for best effect.

Contact: B.lab Italia, Gallarate, Italy.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.