06/04/2026
Article 02 | Materials as the new design language.
For years, materials in design were treated as a final layer, a surface, a finish, an aesthetic decision.
Today, they are becoming the starting point.
Across lifestyle, packaging, fashion, beauty, and hospitality, we see a clear shift - from extractive, high-impact materials to biogenic, circular, and low-carbon alternatives.
Materials now carry meaning.
They tell stories about origin, process, and responsibility.
They shape not only how something looks, but how it feels, performs, and exists over time.
Biogenic materials, such as mycelium, h**p, or agricultural waste, introduce a fundamentally different logic. Grown rather than extracted, they can store carbon captured throughout their lifecycles, effectively turning products and spaces into temporary carbon reservoirs. Increasingly, research and real-world applications show their potential not only in construction, but also in packaging, interiors, and product design.
Circular materials extend this thinking further. Instead of a linear lifecycle, materials are kept in circulation, reused, recycled, or transformed. From reclaimed wood and recycled plastics to construction waste reimagined into new surfaces, circularity shifts the focus from ownership to flow. It reduces dependency on virgin resources while opening new aesthetic and narrative possibilities.
Low-carbon innovations add another layer. From earth-based materials to technologies that bind or mineralize CO₂ within production processes, materials are now evaluated not only by performance and appearance, but by their footprint over time.
For brands, this changes everything.
Materials are no longer a finishing touch.
They are a strategic decision.
They influence:
– brand perception
– product experience
– environmental footprint
– long-term credibility
At ID LAB, we see materials as a language.
A language that connects design with systems, with nature, and with future-oriented thinking.
Because the most relevant brands today are not only well-designed. They are conscious of what they are made of.
A curated material landscape.
Biogenic / bio-based
– Ecovative, mycelium-based materials for packaging and interiors
– Myceen. mycelium acoustic panels
– Hempitecture, h**p-based insulation systems
– Material Cultures, research-driven architecture and bio-based design
Circular / waste-based
– StoneCycling, bricks made from construction waste
– Smile Plastics, panels from recycled plastic waste
– Made of Air, carbon-negative materials from biochar
– Biohm, construction systems from organic waste streams
Low-carbon
– CarbonCure, CO₂-injected concrete technology
– BC Materials, earth-based circular materials
– Gutex, wood fiber insulation systems
Platforms & knowledge
– Materiom, open-source biomaterials database
– Material District, global materials library
– Healthy Materials Lab, research and education platform
Sources & further reading
– Revalu, Biogenic materials as carbon storage
– ScienceDirect, Low-carbon construction research
– Sustainable Stories, The future of biogenic materials
– ResearchGate, Mycelium-based materials in construction
– Renewable Carbon Initiative, Carbon storage in h**p and wood
