Who’s Who in Materials

This mind map depicts most of the relationships between organizations creating solutions around Materials (building materials) and chemicals of concern today. The complexity is clear, which creates a significant learning curve for Real Estate Investors and the design industry.

Being a fragmented market is not necessarily a bad thing, however. If you imagine the problem of how to address chemicals as a large equation, we need many perspectives to solve each variable in the equation.

For example, Perkins+Will has focused on the scientific and regulatory perspective of Materials in their Precautionary List database, with descriptions of the scientific information that are understandable to the design industry. The Origin database has developed into a consolidated resource for HPD and certification information. mindfulMATERIALS focuses on the UN Goals. All are important approaches.  

Solve what you believe is important, solve part of the equation.

Once solved, you’ll have a new perspective and will naturally develop a new goal to solve the next problem.