Innovation Nation: Design Going the Distance

Modern Modalities 

For decades, there has been an invisible wall between materials suitable for residential construction and materials suitable for commercial construction, said Phillip Thomas, founder and principal of Phillip Thomas Inc. in New York City. 

"In recent years, this wall has come tumbling down, as residential designers look for the sustainability and the cost effectiveness of materials most often found in commercial design, and as commercial designers look to up the ante and the luxury of their designs," Mr. Thomas said.

Resins, for example, have made transformations recently that have rendered them as luxury materials to be used on all surfaces of the homes. "Gone are the days of the utilitarian connotations of resin, and in are the luxurious tones of the material," Mr. Thomas said. 

"We're seeing them used in a multitude of ways, from lighting to cast furniture pieces," Ms. Bloodsworthy said. For example, Cuban-American artist Jorge Pardo creates colorful chandeliers and light pieces from laser-cut plastics, she noted. 

On the building front, evolution in cement technologies is allowing for creativity with structure and furniture creation, Mr. Wade said. "Modularized offerings of composite stones and synthetic resins are giving designers the ability to create installation forms that were once too costly due to labor." 

And natural materials, from moss and bark to algae, spider silk and salt used as bricks, are increasing in demand, "particularly as biotech helps to make them more durable and versatile," Mr. Barzilay Freund said. 

Photography by Kris Tamburello; Designed by Phillip Thomas, founder and principal of Phillip Thomas Inc. in New York City.

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