A look at the innovative materials and approaches that are transforming architecture, interior, and product design.

“They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot.” While Joni Mitchell’s ballad from 1970 didn’t actually refer to overbuilding or replacing greenspace with concrete, it's become a go-to slogan of sorts when we talk about overdevelopment. And while yes, freshly mixed concrete (and the cement used within it) are notorious environmental offenders that release significant CO2, there is a laundry list of materials in need of innovation, concrete is just one of the least expensive and most common. Thankfully, as we move into the next era of design, sustainable building goals are integrated into the ethos of builders and designers all over the world, which is driven by company vision and consumer sentiment.

From plastics to PVC and vinyl, glass and aluminum to toxic coatings and petrochemicals, several traditional architecture and design materials have significant carbon footprints, particularly in the manufacturing stage. While many of these materials are still vital in the building and design process, balancing them with eco-friendly options or recycling and reusing the materials already manufactured will need to be further adapted into the future.

The bottom line is: materials matter in everything, and they matter significantly when we talk about the spaces we inhabit and the products we put within them. They impact the health of the planet and the air we breathe. Thankfully, many designers and builders know and respect this, regardless of lacking regulation or legislation, and have worked to incorporate and create materials that are more eco-friendly.

As always, we want to celebrate people doing interesting things in design, this time with a focused lens on sustainability. We’d like to highlight some of the innovation happening across design materiality, along with how we can use carbon heavy materials in a more responsible way, with expert commentary from design professionals.

Exploring the potential of plant-based materials

Mother Nature continues to impress us with her versatility and abundance. When it comes to materiality, this is even more true.

One of the newest sustainable materials we found through our research is ACRE, a rice hull-based composite created by the company Modern Mill is a standout in this category. This 100% tree-free, recyclable product is made primarily from discarded rice hulls. It’s incredibly versatile for exterior and interior use and can be painted or stained to match a variety of woods. As Stine’s Designs CEO Ross Stine shares, ACRE was used as exterior shiplap siding for a project that required “materials that could withstand the challenges of a saltwater climate, including resistance to water, weather, pests, and rot.”

Stine adds, “what inspired me to work with ACRE was its ability to deliver environmental benefits without compromising performance or aesthetic. Many alternative materials, while eco-friendly, often lack the authentic look and feel of wood, appearing overly plastic-like. They can also fall short in durability, require high maintenance, or have a limited lifespan, issues that ultimately undermine their sustainability.”

Considering that the United States produces over 20 billion pounds of rice annually, and while nearly half of the grains are exported, the hulls are typically destined for landfills.

Kim Guimond, also of Modern Mill, adds that the company’s use of ACRE has made significant environmental strides, sharing that, “with ACRE, we aim to protect old-growth forests and offer a sustainable, high-performance alternative to traditional wood. Our impact in 2024 alone included: preserving 6,000+ acres of tropical rainforest, saving 17,000+ softwood trees, and diverting 2.5 million pounds of rice hulls from landfills.”

Another plant based material that’s been making waves for a little while is mycelium. Mycelium is a fungal textile made up of thread-like strands that, when woven together, mimic traditional design materials similar to leather. Mycoworks, a biotech company based in California, continues to push design boundaries with its signature mycelium-grown biomaterial Reishi,™ which recently was on display at Miami Design Week’s Alcova Miami fair. The mushroom-based textile was transformed into a mounted side table in collaboration with Swedish design firm Studio TOOJ.

Guillaume Drew, founder of Or & Zon, adds that mycelium “is very lightweight, strong, and adaptable for a variety of uses, including packaging, constructing items, and even buildings.”

Other brands have made strides in the mycelium space, and interior designer Sharon Sherman fell further in love with mycelium at the Sustainable Design Lab at the last edition of High Point Market, adding that mycelium has a “beautiful feel and there is longevity in the product. As the next generation with disposable income and vegan preferences is moving into homes and starting families, I see this product as gaining in use.”

Jack Lorge, who focuses on designing spaces that seamlessly combine environmental stewardship with stunning aesthetics, also agrees that “mycelium is lightweight, fully compostable, and incredibly versatile for furniture and insulation.”

Another celebrated material is hempcrete, which is a simple yet powerful mixture of hemp fibers, lime, and water. While hempcrete may not be as strong as the traditional load bearing concrete, where its name is derived, it has ample potential as a supporting material that acts almost as a living being. Because hemp absorbs significant amounts of CO₂ as it grows, it's recognized as an eco-friendly material, but even beyond that, lime curing the hempcrete allows the material to continue to absorb CO₂ even after installation. Lorge adds that hempcrete is “energy efficient and highly durable.”

Recently, Lily Mustelier shared her love for hempcrete, stating that “the texture and earthy tones of hempcrete add an organic, grounding quality to any space, whether indoors or outdoors. It also works well with natural finishes like lime plaster or tadelakt, which lets me refine and waterproof surfaces without compromising the material’s integrity. Overall, hempcrete embodies the blend of art, nature, and sustainability.”

In interiors, hempcrete is a smart and healthy option for non-load bearing walls, acoustic panels, sculptures, and feature walls.

Recycling is still a key element of sustainable design

Along with adaptive reuse design principles, recycled materials are arguably one of the most sustainable paths forward in design. Consider a material like plastic. Because we have an immense amount of surplus plastic on the planet and an endless amount in production, thinking about plastic in a future-oriented way is critical. Plastics are a known offender of the environment, from plastics packaging and bags to larger scale waste. As we all know, plastic is not biodegradable and because there are several types of plastics (some of which cannot be recycled or upcycled), reducing plastic overall is still a sustainable target we must strive for.

Recycled and upcycled materials are finding their place in the design community. Jamie Mitri of MossPure explains that in design “bioplastics, recycled plastics, and engineered wood containing recycled and sustainable materials are seen as being long-lasting, durable, yet sleek and modern. It's all about providing a space of comfort that is beautiful, modern, and timeless at the same time.”

Items that many of us see and discard as everyday waste also hold an interesting position in the world of sustainable materials. As Ali Qari of Urban Natural and GRAYN explains, “several furniture designs are emerging using materials made from a growing number of recycled items, such as water bottles, milk jugs, coffee shell waste, industrial waste, and more– materials that would otherwise sit in landfills. Often, these designs go even further and can be defined as “circular” - meaning they can be disassembled at the end of their lifecycle, recycled again, and turned once again into new furniture.”

Qari continues, “we’re also seeing more innovative materials for furniture upholstery options and cushion fills. From vegan “AppleSkin” leather made using the leftover pomace and peel from the fruit juice and compote industry, to fabrics and fills made from recycled plastic water bottles.”

We also found it fascinating that Caleb Engstrom of Rest Energy works with an interesting medium mixed with burl wood: crushed egg shells. The novel material doesn’t just add interesting depth to aesthetics, but adds a layer of safety, as ground eggshells create a unique texture or to act as a fire retardant, primarily by grinding the shells into a powder and mixing it with a textile base like cotton, providing a sustainable alternative to chemical fire retardants.

The new dialogue on building with wood

Wood, while seemingly ironic in the sense of sustainability (such as, the basic act of cutting down trees for commercial gain), has had some interesting innovations as a material and its application in sustainability minded design. Cross-laminated timber is a renewable and sturdy material to work with, and according to Giovanni Scippo of 3D Lines, it “has a much smaller environmental impact than steel or concrete.”

Further, home accents and fixtures are expanding into sustainable options. One material lauded by cabinet retailer Josh Qian is “thermally modified wood, which enhances durability and resistance to moisture without the need for harmful chemicals. This process uses heat to alter the wood’s properties, making it a great alternative to traditional treatments.” It’s important to note this is not composite wood, a material that typically uses formaldehyde resin and offsets gases over time.

Mass timber has also been a popular material of choice for decades for Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, and its sustainable properties (carbon emission offsets, carbon storage, centuries long durability, and increased air quality, among other benefits) make it a popular material of choice for designers looking to build responsibly. However, as it continues to gain in popularity, responsible and sustainable sourcing can become an issue.

We must also mention bamboo, which grows strong and fast and with less water, providing a solid and stable material for building. Despite its sustainable attributes in terms of growth and regeneration, it's important to note that untreated bamboo can deteriorate in five to fifteen years, making it less sustainable in the long run than some other materials and process intensive to restore for further use.

A new approach to the classics

Glass, steel, and aluminum are no strangers to the design process. While these materials are carbon heavy in the production stage, once they are manufactured, they can be reused extensively. Aluminum has gained popularity as a material with impressive durability and versatility. In fact, Leslie Chapus of Florida-based Azenco Outdoor explains, “aluminum is not only incredibly durable and versatile, but it’s also infinitely recyclable. Using recycled aluminum reduces the environmental impact of production significantly.”

Steel is also making an impact in terms of reuse. Salvaging pre-existing steel beams, columns, and railings from defunct buildings or from renovations is one way that we see steel undergo recycling. Brad Smith of Omni Home Ideas, agrees that “recycled steel is emerging as a key material in eco-conscious designs, offering strength without the extensive environmental impact of new steel production.” Recycled steel often comes back in the form of rebar, frames, and other structural support. And the impacts are significant– according to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycled steel uses about 75% less energy than making new steel.

*Glass ready for recycling, via unsplash*

Glass is also a great material to consider for reuse. Recycling glass saves about 30% of the energy required to produce new glass, it’s much more sustainable to adapt it into a new design need, such as glass-based insulation, glass tiles, and glass countertops or terrazzo. But it isn't just structural work to consider when we think of reuse for these traditional and reliable building materials. On the lighting design front, Tate Leavitt of Gemstone Lights adds, “There is also a rise in usage of recycled materials, such as glass and metal, which can be turned into stunning design elements.”

Unexpected energy vampires

It’s worth calling to attention that some elements or materials we may think to be sustainable are actually the opposite, such as living walls for biophilic design. In further speaking with Jamie Mitri of MossPure, who’s also a Chemical and Environmental Engineer, living walls are often deceiving in their energy consumption or chemical offsets. “I noticed that a lot of living plant walls or preserved moss walls were thought of being sustainable but they're not. One thing I did notice and why it has led me into creating Moss Pure - is that living plant walls use a lot of watering and need maintenance. And if you've seen a moss wall out and about, it's most likely preserved moss which is not made of real plants and processed with chemicals. What most people don't realize until they get a preserved moss wall is that it needs constant replacement and maintenance after a short period of time. Preserved moss also gives off a strong smell, off-gases chemicals into your air, is flammable, and just looks fake.” Offering a clean alternative, Mitri’s product line was developed as the world's only product to use 100% living moss and you don't have to water or maintain it - all while being a scientifically certified air filter that has air quality testing.”

Thinking about design differently

Clearly, it’s not only new materials, but new applications that make these advancements in design so interesting. In the case of sustainable architecture, the conversation moves beyond “what can we build with to make something new?” to “how can we take this existing structure and responsibly improve it for the better?”

For interiors, it’s moving from “where can we source the most sustainable furniture and textiles?” “how can we upcycle or repurpose vintage or existing furnishings to bring character and life to a space?

Interior designer Hannah Oravec takes this approach in her work, explaining that she favors, “salvaged vintage furniture and low-VOC paints to reduce environmental impact while achieving a lived-in, authentic aesthetic. Materials like cork and bamboo, offer exciting possibilities, but vintage pieces remain one of the most sustainable options. By giving older items new life, we preserve craftsmanship and reduce the need for new manufacturing, making sustainability not just about innovation but also preservation.”

When we start to think about design and decor from a different lens, we unlock a new level of truly sustainable flywheel of design and consumption.

Take manufacturing. In the realm of lighting, Jose dos Santos of lighting manufacturer, Signify explains that, “3D printing is emerging as a sustainable manufacturing method. These luminaires often use recyclable and bio-based materials and even waste like fishing nets. And compared to traditional luminaires, they don’t use paint or glue, and require fewer parts and screws, so they can be easily disassembled for reuse, or what we often refer to as the circular economy. 3D printed luminaires are also typically produced on demand, reducing lead times and limiting waste.”

So, while materiality is at the core of sustainable design, it is equally important that builders and designers work with a sustainable, adaptive mindset. As discussed above, it’s not just about looking for the latest and most sustainable material, it’s about adaptive reuse and material recycling to reduce overall consumption and commit less harm to the planet as we achieve our design dreams.

Did we miss any materials, or do you have comments on sustainable design and build? Send us a note!

Built Better: Sustainable Materials

Design Love: Alcova Miami

Built Better: Sustainable Design