IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2011 - 14

the universal perception of hospitals as hostile, sterile environments, points out brennan. but designers have to know what questions to ask, and where to look. Frances mong, a designer at rockwell group, says nanotechnology-based textile enhancements company nano-Tex can double a fabric’s durability and increase its stain-resistance manifold, allowing her to specify a wider range of fabrics in lighter colors not normally used in restaurants or commercial spaces. but mong also points out that the newest thing is not the greenest thing. rockwell often uses repurposed materials, as it did for the penny-tiled floor at new york’s standard grill restaurant, so she also searches architectural salvage companies for materials and products.

Ultimately, product research has become a way of working, not just a job, for those looking to push the design envelope. For her part, Epstein has launched a blog that aims to give designers new, insider information about contract design materials and products. brennan, too, sees infinite possibilities in today’s social-networking platforms, which have become host to a wealth of discussion forums surrounding new products and materials in the design world. “It can be a challenge to think outside the box while following a very detailed schedule,” he says. but in the world of global competition, he adds, designers must be committed to research and innovation. “If we keep doing the things we’ve always done, we’re going to become non-competitive.”

sELECTED rEsourCEs:
The Architect’s Library A regionally based, user-generated guide to products and services from The Architect’s newspaper. www.archpaper.com > Architect’s Library Architonic A source for architecture and design industry materials and products as well as designer profiles and news from around the world. www.architonic.com Best of neoCon searchable by manufacturer and 42 product categories, this site, features award-winning new commercial interior products from Contract magazine’s competition at neoCon. www.contract-network.com CASE The Center for Architecture science and Ecology comprises educational institutions, manufacturers, and firms advancing environmental performance in building systems. www.case.rpi.edu Designer Pages Allows users to browse thousands of product listings and network with major manufacturers as well as with other designers. www.designerpages.com

GreenSpec Product Guide The online greenspec® Product guide lists over 2,200 environmentally preferable products selected by editors at buildinggreen.com. www.buildinggreen.com/menus/T IdeaConnection newsletter A free e-newsletter published by a consultancy of creative experts who solve a broad range of r&D challenges across several disciplines. www.ideaconnection.com IIDA Knowledge Center A selection of the most authoritative and timely design resources from the thousands available to designers on the Web, organized by resource topic, client type, and resource type. knowledgecenter.iida.org/Index.aspx Interior Design Go-To Buyer’s Guide organized by product category, market segment, or style, the searchable database allows companies to add product information and designers to store it in personalized online binders. goto.interiordesign.net Inventables A self-described “innovator’s hardware store,” the site sells samples of a wide range of materials and components in small quantities. www.inventables.com Material Connexion In addition to its expansive library of materials and building processes, the

global consultancy’s site contains articles from Matter magazine. www.materialconnexion.com Pratt Institute’s Center for Sustainable Design Studies Pratt’s online resource center includes product case studies and material descriptions geared toward promoting sustainable building practices. csds.pratt.edu repeat. no repeat. A commercial products blog by Philadelphia-based klingstubbins resource specialist royce Epstein. repeatnorepeat.typepad.com Trade only Design Library A specification database, exclusive to design professionals and students, of detailed information on 300,000+ products that instantly connects users to manufacturers. www.ToDL.com Transmaterial.net A companion to the Transmaterial books written by Blaine Brownell, this edited resource provides information on the latest and most intriguing materials commercially available. UTSoA Materials Lab A vast online materials database organized by a range of criteria with manufacturer names. www.soa.utexas.edu/matlab

perspective

http://www.materialconnexion.com http://www.buildinggreen.com http://www.buildinggreen.com/menus/ http://www.archpaper.com http://csds.pratt.edu http://www.ideaconnection.com http://www.architonic.com http://repeatnorepeat.typepad.com http://knowledgecenter.iida.org/Index.aspx http://www.contract-network.com http://www.ToDL.com http://www.Transmaterial.net http://goto.interiordesign.net http://www.case.rpi.edu http://www.inventables.com http://www.soa.utexas.edu/matlab http://www.designerpages.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IIDA Perspective - Fall/Winter 2011