Material Intelligence, for Furniture and Interior Design

The Materials Pavilion at GlobalShop – in a dramatic location in the lobby of McCormick Place – was a show-stopper for several reasons. We think one of those reasons was the construction of the booth itself. 

Built almost entirely of raw MDF, our display easels and back wall required no hardware  or tools to assemble. As a matter of fact, aside from 48 screws, no metal was used at all. This, thanks to the visionary design of Dale Malner (www.artindustry.org) and brilliant engineering of Geoffry Hoffman (www.hoffmanmc.com), made for an incredibly low-waste, earth-friendly exhibit that became the center of action at GlobalShop. 

In a recently lifecycle inventory analysis, MDF, particleboard, and related composite panels were found to be “better than carbon neutral” – the carbon stored by the waste-wood fiber used to create these materials offsets the emissions required to manufacture and transport it...and then some.

We thought that was pretty cool. We also think it’s pretty beautiful.

This means any decorative surface applied to a composite panel is a wise environmental choice. If that surface also happens to offer high durability and low maintenance over a longer installed life, and replaces rare and fragile woods and veneers, it’s a win-win for built and natural environments alike.