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Revolutionizing Material Sampling: Material Bank Lab

Terrazzo

Construction and interior design remain to be a highly experiential process. A huge portion of a designer’s time is dedicated to searching for construction materials that could match the ideas and concepts dictated by both the designer and the client. This process, no matter how advanced technology can be in providing near-accurate descriptions, continue to be a deliberate and thorough process because designers always need to use their senses — sight, touch, smell — to understand the materials.

A revolutionary venture by Adam Sandow, CEO and founder of SANDOW, has created a platform which aims to “…answer architecture and design community’s need to streamline and speed up the material search and sampling process.” Material Bank Lab was a concept created through SANDOW’s years of experience in managing leading design brands, including Interior Design, Luxe Interiors + Design, Material ConneXion, and ThinkLab.

Whether you are looking for materials to complement your terrazzo flooring, or to match the colors of your terrazzo kitchen top, platforms such as Material Bank Lab will help designers and even property owners to directly explore hundreds of materials in an efficient and experiential manner, matched with cutting edge digital platform. Users of Material Bank can also get access to new Material Desk™ technology and Smart Swatch™ system, as well as to Material Bank’s material experts. All these systems are integrated into a singular platform that can make the designer’s job more efficient, so that they can focus on their main role, creating top-of-the-line interior designs.

Material Bank’s unique proposition reduces the stress and work of designers by collating and masterfully curating over 160 leading manufacturers into a single platform, even managing delivery of swatches into an overnight wait only.

Visit Material Bank Lab’s website (https://www.materialbank.com/)

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Infrastructure For the Future: Sustainable Architecture is On The Rise

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Low-cost housing and cheap materials have inundated many existing and new communities with low-quality infrastructure in many countries around the world. People see chipped and cracked tiles and broken floors in new malls and think that it may simply be an execution flaw. But many times, this goes down to the poor choices of materials by the contractors to save on cost, disregarding the fact that constantly replacing parts of any structure is not sustainable in the long run.

Recently, the rise on awareness about sustainable design has penetrated the mindset of property owners and service providers. There is benefit in designing for longevity while keeping the space flexible enough to accommodate new trends in lifestyle and usage. Creating infrastructure for the future means thinking about houses, hospitals, schools, malls, railway stations, and bridges, passageways, and all forms of infrastructure in a way that can withstand the harsher elements and the dynamism of today’s lifestyle. Architects and engineers are turning to materials that can withstand these elements while retaining its design and structural integrity. Metals and wood are cured and honed to perfect foundation requirements. Materials are picked for a sturdy yet stylish finish. Here are a few more steps taken by designers to pursue sustainable architecture:

1. Choosing lighter colors for wall paint

Designers continue to choose lighter colors for painting walls as it absorbs less heat, and therefore helps regulate temperatures within a building. It also creates more opportunities and flexibility for interior design concepts and designs.

2. Picking Terrazzo for flooring

With a wide array of color combinations to choose from, and its adaptability to space requirements with on-site pouring options, Terrazzo continues to be a go-to material for flooring in many types of buildings and spaces.

3. Shifting to LED lights and renewable energy to power up

While architecture is mainly concerned about the structure and design of a building, architects are also shifting towards designing infrastructure which consume less energy, and can be powered up with renewable sources like solar panels etc. Choosing the right lighting to match the space and colors is one of the vital finishes for any structure.

Not all infrastructure projects are provided with budget and resources to create and carry out out-of-the-box, bespoke designs. Yet, at the very core, architects and designers can create simple designs with quality materials to ensure sustainability and longevity, passing on from one generation to another.

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Maximizing Terrazzo in Public Facilities

Sustainability and longevity are prioritized in creating facilities and infrastructure which cater to public needs. For government buildings and public facilities which are intended to last generations, it is crucial to select and build with the most durable and efficient materials. Terrazzo continues to be a material of choice when needed for longevity with minimal maintenance required.

Terrazzo flooring in train stations and subways
Public train stations and subways need to survive high traffic and a multitude of elements. In train stations and subways, it is important that the flooring can withstand the pressures of high foot traffic, with little to no maintenance required. Hindering traffic with floor maintenance works can be costly and hazardous in train stations and subways. It is, therefore, beneficial to layout the flooring right the first time. Government-run stations consider terrazzo for flooring in train stations and subways to answer these requirements.


Terrazzo counters and dividers in Public Hospital Toilets
Public hospitals, like train stations, have high foot traffic. The challenge in public hospitals is keeping cleanliness and sanitation to prevent spreading bacteria and diseases in different part of the hospital. Terrazzo comes in as the material of choice for toilets and lavatories in public hospitals for its easy-to-maintain surface. Cleaning and maintenance staff usually face challenges in keeping the sink and dividers clean. With Terrazzo, maintenance and cleaning is faster and hassle-free.


Terrazzo pavers in public parks

Public parks are more prone to faster wear-and-tear. These spaces need to be designed to be clean, safe, and welcoming to be enjoyed by the communities surrounding it. Terrazzo pavers, such as those from Terrazzo Australian Marble, should be hermetically pressed to produce a durable tile that can withstand harsh outdoor elements while being anti-slip. These are ideal for public parks to create a clean, sturdy, and safe pavement for park visitors.

There are other uses of Terrazzo in public spaces. Talk to Terrazzo Australian Marble today to learn how Terrazzo can best support your public building projects.

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Terrazzo Flooring for Sustainable Construction

terrazzo australian marble

Sustainability has penetrated a wide spectrum of professional practices from engineering, medicine, art, business, and construction. The idea of creating things that can have minimal to zero impact to the environment has become a noble goal for practitioners across different sectors and professions. In architecture and design, materials sourced responsibly with minimal impact to the source and best outcome for the end users is highly preferred for all size of projects. Terrazzo, with its composition, installation, and lifespan, has become a material of choice for flooring requirements.

Reusing materials remain at the core of Terrazzo
From as far back as 1,500 years ago, Terrazzo as a material was built around the concept of maximizing scraps to build something durable yet attractive. Creating beautiful pieces from marble scraps and cement was the foundation of today’s more forward concepts of Terrazzo. The most skillful designers know that creating the most effective designs does not necessarily mean creating from scratch. Terrazzo’s composition can use recycled glass and other materials, making it one of the primary choice for sustainable flooring designs.

Longevity prevents constant replacement
Constant replacement means constantly sourcing materials which in turn depletes natural resources. Terrazzo flooring can be kept and maintained to at least 50 years with the right maintenance and care. Sustainable design allows generations to use the space as intended, without the need for constant repairs and replacements.

Minimal Maintenance mean low impact
With minimal maintenance required, Terrazzo flooring requires less energy and toxic products. It can be easily maintained with environmentally-safe products, at very few instances, compared to other flooring options which require high maintenance to retain its original look and feel.

Promoting and advocating sustainable design can define the future of infrastructure and construction. It is important for the experts to always, or as much as possible, integrate sustainable materials and practices into their design, as any space built today can establish the lifestyle of city and rural dwellers in the next few decades. Talk to Terrazzo Australian Marble to integrate Terrazzo into your sustainable construction and design concepts.

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Start with Grey Terrazzo

Minimalism continues to be explored in interior design as a practice that stretches the boundaries of imagination. While it seems like minimalism is an easy practice, in today’s world fueled by consumerism and extravagant lifestyles, acquiring more instead of living in less has become the norm.

So where can households attempting to transform their homes into a minimalist space start? One can start by choosing the right hues for the flooring and fixtures and picking grey terrazzo is a good solid start. Here’s how grey terrazzo can work well with minimalist designs and concepts:

1. Select the right tone of white – One can say that white is a standard color that does not have tones and is flat. This idea is actually not true because white can take different tones that is accentuated by the light that fills the space. White paint with a hint of yellow makes it look warmer and creamier while blue tones added to white paint makes it look cool, crisp and edgy. So, if LED light or fluorescent lighting is chosen for the room, choose white paint that has a yellow mix. Whereas if natural lighting is more encouraged through open spaces or windows, choose a cooler blue tone of white to balance the warmth of natural lighting. Adjust the grey for the terrazzo flooring, depending on what tone you wish to achieve for the space.

2. Match leather tans – Leather comes with different colors as well. Grey terrazzo matched with black or a deep brown leather makes a clean match for a minimalist space. One does not necessarily have to abandon the leather furniture for a minimalist look. Explore areas of the space that can isolate these leather tans against plain colored backgrounds and spaces.

3. Play with texture in one color – Minimalism requires a space to have a coherent feel to it, but this doesn’t mean all textures have to be the same. A good trick is to pick a single hue — let’s say blue — and select pieces that have different textures in that same hue. Throw pillows and sofa could have different textiles but in the same blue tone. Blue-dyed wood for counter tops can be matched with blue-painted metal bars for the handles of your storage cabinets. All these textures will stand out against a subtle grey terrazzo flooring.

Approaching minimalism can be a long and deliberate process. Therefore, starting with the solid grey terrazzo for the flooring is a good first choice. Talk to Terrazzo Australian Marble today to learn more about Terrazzo.