2018 inspiration coming your way! Check out these blues and snowy hues to get you in the mood for a fresh new year.
Sintered Stone is the hottest new entrant to the surfacing market, with superior performance and durability – but does it have a sustainability story?
The hot new topic in design and architecture is human health in the built environment. It is not just about materials with recycled content having a positive impact on the planet; it is about the experience of the people in that space. Biophilic design is an easy way to introduce a few techniques without embracing a full-blown standard, and it can be done in an existing space pretty easily. We will give you some ideas below, but first, let’s be clear about the efficacy of biophilic design.
Most manufacturers are finding themselves forced into a honed or matte finish, and the stone fabrication market is having to scramble to make sure they are staying on top of this trends. Difficult to match the surface texture on the edges, most shops usually polish to a high gloss, and as customers are starting to ask for more texture, the industry is having to shift.
Heading home for the holidays? Channel the warmth that is felt in this vignette for inspiration and have a happy boliday season!
The true thought leaders in the industry are not racing to the bottom; they are innovating for the future by finding smarter, healthier and more sustainable ways to provide a surfacing product that has a positive impact on the environment, and respects the desires of the new homebuyers who care inherently about the environment.
For the last decade, companies have been clamoring to get their products tagged with some sort of label or declaration that classifies them as “green.” This certificate, sticker, logo, or claim would absolve them of any responsibility in explaining why their product was either beneficial to, or less detrimental to, the environment, because people would just “know” it was green because some certifying body, or pay-to-play entity said it was so. This is completely maligned with what the intent of green building was at the outset and has completely derailed the green initiative in so many ways.
Sustainable materials- not just in regards to material composition! Some recent projects have been completed showing how products we offer can be used to further the social sustainability of local communities.
Not everyone has $50,000 to spend on a kitchen remodel. How can you update your kitchen without spending a fortune? Close collaboration with your contractor and savvy choices in surfacing materials and finishes can result in a beautiful upfit without costing a fortune.
Feeling warm and earthy today? So are we! Check out these materials to channel that into some nature-inspiring biophilic design.
Biophilia? No, it is not some nefarious relationship with plants. Well, not entirely. This hot new design trend is not some “look” or color scheme, it’s a set of design techniques that put people before profits in building construction. While some people are quick to put biophilic design in the category of “another green building standard,” it is absolutely not.
Looking for ideas for a sustainable and successful space? We recently visited the new James B. Hunt Jr. Library at NCSU to see Durat vanities that CaraGreen provided for the bathrooms. The building is the work of two architecture firms: Pearce, Brinkley, Cease + Lee (now part of Clark Nexsen) and Snøhetta. This library, famous beyond even its local community, is designed to be sustainable (met requirements for LEED Silver), technologically advanced, and to foster collaboration.