Smart materials are reshaping the future of the construction industry. It’s an important step forward, with commercial buildings representing one of the major sources of carbon emissions in the US.
From packaging to plant sugars and green roofs, here are some top smart materials suppliers, working across a broad range of sectors and industries.
ECOR Global
ECOR is an Advanced Environment Composite panel, which is made and supplied by ECOR Global. This highly sustainable material is bio-based, recyclable and is made from recycled, waste materials. ECOR Global supplies a range of composite panels, graphic display boards, decorative surfaces and walls, and specialty panels – all made from its ECOR sustainable sourced material.
Aspen Aerogels
Founded in 2001, Aspen Aerogels provides sustainable, aerogel-based insulation solutions. Silica aerogel is an extremely low density solid with highly effective thermal insulation properties. Aspen Aerogels’ products are used in a wide range of hot and cold insulation applications, including building and construction projects with demanding energy conservation, environmental, and architectural needs.
NanoSteel
NanoSteel is an advanced materials company, which produces nano-structured steel alloys with exceptional properties compared to traditional materials. Its sheet steel provides a combination of high ductility and high strength steel, mainly used to produce lightweight and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Its alloys are also used for additive manufacturing.
Watershed Material
Watershed Materials produces sustainable masonry, which uses less cement by integrating recycled materials. The result is a durable, affordable and resilient masonry solution that uses 50% less cement and 65% less embodied energy, compared to traditional building blocks.
Green Living Technologies International
For the last two decades, Green Living Technologies International has created beautiful, sustainable green walls, green roofs, and vertical farms. Its products are designed to eliminate waste and conserve energy. They are fabricated from recycled stainless steel and aluminium, manufactured in the US, and come with a lifetime warranty.
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Semper Green
Semper Green is a sustainable construction company that creates green roofs, living walls, and ready-to-lay ground coverings. Founded in 1996, the company is one of the most experienced and largest suppliers of these green, sustainable architectural solutions.
View
View’s smart windows let in plenty of daylight and reduce glare to provide a comfortable environment for a building’s inhabitants. Using dynamic glass coated with a novel electrochromic layer, it automatically adjusts the lighting levels in a building. The technology can also be controlled with its Intelligence App. It’s latest offering, View Protect, the industry’s first cloud-connected, software-enabled glass break detection system, provides an additional layer of building security.
iGlass Technology
iGlass Technology is another smart windows company manufacturing and selling a range of electrically controllable Digital BlindsTM. Its solution makes your windows dark on-demand, using electrochromic technology and provides acoustic insulation. The solution also allows for IoT-based communication between different building management systems.
LiveRoof
LiveRoof provides green roof solutions by using its patented hybrid green roof design system. There are no grid lines or compartmentalization of the soil. The green roofs are built-in-place, providing a mature green space. The company also claims its roofs require minimal maintenance without the need for excessive watering.
AccuStrata
AccuStrata provides on-site monitoring and control solutions to improve the performance and manufacture of thin-film-based products. In 2009, the company started working in the solar industry and later produced low-energy coatings for architectural windows. The solar industry remains a core focus for the company with additional applications including process control for lighting, nanotechnology, and biotechnology.
Amyris
Amyris creates renewable products derived from sustainable sugarcane. The company’s industrial synthetic biology platform effectively provides sustainable alternatives to a variety of petroleum-sourced products. This includes biopharmaceutical drug discovery and production for fuels, solvents, and fragrances.
Ecovative Design
Ecovative is a biomaterials company that grows sustainable products for a range of packaging, skincare, textiles, apparel, and food applications. The company uses mycelium, which is the root structure of mushrooms, to grow materials to replace plastics and reduce animal slaughter.
