CURATED LISTS

Curated Lists include a selection of products from the Materials Lab library, assembled around diverse material themes. 

BUILDING REUSE, REUSE IN BUILDING
This collection highlights strategies for integrating circular products. Included are material products that have been reclaimed from existing buildings, products that have been recycled from pre- and post-consumer building and industrial waste, and products that can be used for retrofitting existing buildings to meet progressive building standards.

 

GRASSES
This list includes a wide range of material products derived from the Graminae family of flowering plants. Of more than 12,000 known species, common examples of grasses grown in high volumes around the world include bamboo, corn, rice, sorghum, and wheat. Although grasses for human use are most prevalent in the food supply chain, providing just over half of global dietary energy, they are also viable resources for products in many other industries, including buildings and infrastructure. Grasses are also considered rapidly renewable crops, meaning they grow in a cycle of less than 10 years, an important factor for the environmental-friendliness of grass-based products.

 

MATERIALS IN TEXAS
Materials in Texas is a survey of regional building materials and resources. Utilizing local materials helps to minimize the embodied carbon of new construction and renovation; material transportation alone accounts for 16.5% of the embodied carbon in the built environment. Furthermore, the use of regionally sourced, assembled, or otherwise manufactured materials contributes to the healthy development of local economies, creates opportunities to honor and sustain local building ecologies, advocates for the community interest necessary to maintain sustainable building life-cycles, and delivers meaningful connections to site geography.

 

WOVEN
Woven showcases the versatility of materials assembled through the practice of weaving. Included in this list are over sixty products, representing a wide array of woven materials suitable for diverse applications. Woven materials are formed by the joining of two distinct sets of threads interlaced at right angles: a set of vertical yarns, the warp; and a set of horizontal threads, the weft. Endless variation and complexity can be introduced from this simple starting point, producing results that vary in density, permeability, and structure.

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  • Instagram Post
    #materialoftheweek: Eclat Weave is an archive-inspired, woven upholstery fabric from KnollTextiles. The original, Eclat, was designed by Anni Albers in 1974 and first released by Knoll as a printed cotton textile.
    @materials_lab

    #materialoftheweek: Eclat Weave is an archive-inspired, woven upholstery fabric from KnollTextiles. The original, Eclat, was designed by Anni Albers in 1974 and first released by Knoll as a printed cotton textile.

  • Instagram Post
    This week we highlight wood-plastic composites (WPC’s). WPC’s combine reclaimed wood fibers with waste thermoplastics to create a product that is largely recycled, durable and low-maintenance. Common applications for WPC’s include decking, railing, fencing, cladding, and outdoor furniture.
    @materials_lab

    This week we highlight wood-plastic composites (WPC’s). WPC’s combine reclaimed wood fibers with waste thermoplastics to create a product that is largely recycled, durable and low-maintenance. Common applications for WPC’s include decking, railing, fencing, cladding, and outdoor furniture.

  • Instagram Post
    Introducing our Material of the Week: laminated glass with decorative interlayers that add pattern, color, and depth. @livinglass_inc offers four lines of decorative architectural glazing, including ‘Light’ made from 100% recycled resin and glass.<br />.<br />
    @materials_lab

    Introducing our Material of the Week: laminated glass with decorative interlayers that add pattern, color, and depth. @livinglass_inc offers four lines of decorative architectural glazing, including ‘Light’ made from 100% recycled resin and glass.
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  • Instagram Post
    As we welcome this new school year, the Materials Lab would also like to celebrate some new additions! Take some time to check out the current exhibition of innovative materials. Be sure to read about how they focus on sustainability and environmental health.
    @materials_lab

    As we welcome this new school year, the Materials Lab would also like to celebrate some new additions! Take some time to check out the current exhibition of innovative materials. Be sure to read about how they focus on sustainability and environmental health.

  • Instagram Post
    The Materials Lab is now open! Come browse the newly updated collection. Following our big reopening last year, hundreds of new materials have been added. The library is also optimized for browsing + exploring, with ADA-compliant shelving.<br />
    @materials_lab

    The Materials Lab is now open! Come browse the newly updated collection. Following our big reopening last year, hundreds of new materials have been added. The library is also optimized for browsing + exploring, with ADA-compliant shelving.

  • Instagram Post
    Cheers to the end of the semester! 🥳 It's been a busy one with our re-opening and we're thrilled that the new + improved library is a full resource again. Please return any checked-out materials before we close for the summer. We're open from 9-5 this week.
    @materials_lab

    Cheers to the end of the semester! 🥳 It's been a busy one with our re-opening and we're thrilled that the new + improved library is a full resource again. Please return any checked-out materials before we close for the summer. We're open from 9-5 this week.

  • Instagram Post
    It’s been one week since the Materials Lab reopened! Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us last Friday. If you weren’t able to make it, swing by to see the new space before the semester ends. We’ll be open weekdays, 9:00 - 5:00, through Friday, May 5th.<br />.
    @materials_lab

    It’s been one week since the Materials Lab reopened! Thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate with us last Friday. If you weren’t able to make it, swing by to see the new space before the semester ends. We’ll be open weekdays, 9:00 - 5:00, through Friday, May 5th.
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  • Instagram Post
    Join us tomorrow for our grand reopening! We’ll be celebrating with an open house @utsoa “tea time” from 3:00 - 5:00 at the Materials Lab, WMB 3.102 @utaustintx. Swing by for coffee and pastries, and peruse the updated material library.<br />.
    @materials_lab

    Join us tomorrow for our grand reopening! We’ll be celebrating with an open house @utsoa “tea time” from 3:00 - 5:00 at the Materials Lab, WMB 3.102 @utaustintx. Swing by for coffee and pastries, and peruse the updated material library.
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  • Instagram Post
    #materialoftheweek: custom-fit, digitally manipulated wallpaper generated from hand marbled patterns. Lunaris evokes the cratered surface of the moon through silvery metallics overlaid on gray backdrops. The collection is one of the first developed by Calico Wallpaper, based in New York.
    @materials_lab

    #materialoftheweek: custom-fit, digitally manipulated wallpaper generated from hand marbled patterns. Lunaris evokes the cratered surface of the moon through silvery metallics overlaid on gray backdrops. The collection is one of the first developed by Calico Wallpaper, based in New York.