Material Revolution
arena Designfestival · Poznan/Poland
26 May 2011

Be it vases made of algae fibre, wall paper made of tree bark, coffins made of almond shells or bike frames made of bamboo, the world of materials is about to experience a decisive change. At the latest after it became clear that fossil fuel resources shall dwindle in the coming decades and many raw materials shall only be available in limited amounts, intensive work has been undertaken to find alternatives. The material achievements of the twentieth century, which are mainly owed to crude oil, will lose in their importance in the near future.
The awareness of the environmentally sound treatment of materials and thinking in material cycles have reached consumers meaning that investment in sustainable products is now profitable. The use of environmentally sound materials with multifunctional properties and the implementation of sustainable production procedures are already expected by society.
Dr. Sascha Peters has presented his new book on the festival, that gives a brief overview of sustainability aspects for designers and architects concerning the important issues. At the same time it not only covers natural and biodegradable materials, but also materials with multifunctional properties (e.g. thermochromic glasses or surfaces that purify the air) as well as the potential to reduce the amount of energy used (e.g. lightweight construction and phase changing materials).
image: cellulose plastic (source: Biowert)
Floral foam made from cut flowers
23 April 2023
Thai designer Irene Purasachit uses discarded cut flowers to make eco-friendly…
Ultraleggera – Lightest chair in the world
20 August 2021
The Ultraleggera 1.660 is the lightest chair in the world. Oskar Zięta designed…
MotorSkins morphing textiles
19 April 2022
Berlin based start-up MotorSkins designs and produces textiles with embedded…
3D Pioneers Challenge 2022
15 December 2021
The 3D Pioneers Challenge 2022 adresses tech pioneers who pave the way for…
IGNIS – Light from waste heat energy
12 August 2020
The availability of affordable, independent and, above all, clean electrical…
Brake disc with reduced fine dust
21 April 2021
Fine dust endangers our health. One of the main sources is traffic, especially…
BladeBUG maintenance robot
26 January 2021
The British company BladeBUG has developed a six-legged robot over the past few…
Invisible Terracotta Solar Rooftile
10 May 2023
The family-run business Dyaqua has developed a technology to integrate a…
Xarvio – Digital Farming
8 January 2021
BASF Digital Farming GmbH has received the renowned Crop Science Award for the…