The 2027 theme · Matter of How
How do we make a better material choice?
In recent years many new materials and applications have been developed. The next step calls for attention to the circumstances in which they are used. Does the material suit the function? Is it available? How is it processed, maintained and later reused?
Matter of How connects those questions to the way we design and build. That can be about biobased materials, reuse or a new production process. It can also start with an existing building, a different detail or leaving material out.
At MaterialDistrict you meet people working on such choices. You can look at their material, ask questions and discuss what is relevant for your project.
The most sustainable building can be the building we do not build
Not every problem calls for a new material. Sometimes the better solution is to make better use of an existing building, use less material, transform, dismantle or reuse. And when we do build, we must look more sharply at what is truly needed where.
The right material in the right place
Biobased is not automatically good. Reuse is not automatically the best choice.
Traditional materials too can be logical in a different context. The quality of a material choice arises from function, origin, performance, health, lifespan, disassembly, reuse and impact across the whole life cycle.
The real accelerator is how we build
Innovation does not only come from laboratories. It also sits in prefabrication, robotisation, digital design techniques, logistics, new production methods, material passports, disassembly and better collaboration in the chain. A material only becomes relevant once it becomes part of a making process, a chain and an application.
- Where does the material come from?
- What does it do during use?
- What does it do to our health and ecosystems?
- What happens at the end of its life?
- Can it be dismantled, taken back or reapplied?
- Can a material, process or design even contribute to restoration?
The future is not only about what we make. But above all about how we make it.
Matter of How.