Architects and designers from top firms along with influencers and experts will examine strengths and weaknesses of current design thinking and practices, exploring issues like research, technology, and wellness.

15 Must-Reads to Help You Prepare for 2022

With insightful analysis, critical perspectives, and in-depth reporting, Metropolis contributors give you the tools you need for the year ahead.

Building product manufacturers today are making ethical and sustainable choices with their supply chains.

Amid the urgency of climate change, material transparency has morphed into a human right, not just a marketing tool. It’s 97th on a long, stringent list of standards administered by the International Well Building Institute (IWBI), which has declared: “As consumers have a right to know the contents of food. . .they should also have a right to know what is in products and materials that make up buildings they occupy.” To that end, more manufacturers wanting to be seen as future-proof are touting clean processes and brief, simple ingredient lists. 

Formed from clay instead of the more common mixture of ash and concrete, this breeze block, designed by Adam Goodrum, contributes to better air quality if used indoors, and more versatile applications outside, compared with the Modernist cinder block that inspired it.

What appears to be just a door is actually a system that integrates a Yale smart lock, a Ring doorbell camera, motion sensors, and a backup battery if power fails.

In addition to being sourced from sustainably harvested North American softwoods, Structurlam’s mass timber columns, beams, and panels can be prefabricated for easier on-site assembly. 

A cabinet door collection from manufacturer Wood-Mode is distinguished by an inset profile flush-mounted within its frame, which looks modern and protects corners for longer life.

Like all Interface flooring options, this collection of carpet tiles is carbon neutral. Its biophilic design is a collaboration with David Oakey.

What appears to be wood siding is actually a hurricane-resistant composite designed to mimic cedar’s wood grain and edges, a look guaranteed by manufacturer Beach House Shake to last for decades.

Fire-, water-, and impact-resistant-, these fiber cement exterior panels are engineered for extreme weather and low maintenance, with textures that mimic natural materials.

Tested to withstand extreme heat and subzero temperatures, these energy-efficient fiberglass windows are engineered for commercial as well as residential applications.

To reduce bird collisions with buildings, glass manufacturer Guardian has developed UV coatings that, in most conditions, only birds can see. The coating patterns give the company’s glass an acceptable Threat Factor score of < 30 from the American Bird Conservancy.

Ease of installationdistinguishes this manufactured stone veneer by Cultured Stone. 

Engineered from Forest Stewardship Council–certified Baltic birch, this formaldehyde-free indoor paneling is CARB2-compliant, a designation similar to GREENGUARD that’s administered by the California Air Resources Board and indicates that the product meets rigorous air quality standards. 

Powered by algorithms instead of thermostats and preprogrammed with five operating modes, this inverter heat pump increases energy savings by up to 22 percent compared with earlier models.

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The international furniture fair returned to Milan for a sultry 60th-anniversary edition. Here are Metropolis’s highlights.

The executive director of mindful MATERIALS explains how an in-house library grew into a powerful specifying tool for the A&D industry.

These product innovators disclose ways they’re using technology, visionary designs, and manufacturing advances to make specifying greener and easier than ever.

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