The design community has a valuable new resource with the recent launch of Mtrl- an industry initiative aimed at providing designers with “material about materials.”
The brainchild of ASM International, the Materials Information Society, Mtrldebuted earlier this month with designer workshops in Boston and Chicago. Additional workshops are planned for the fall and in the coming months Mtrlwill launch a searchable materials database on their website along with other valuable resources for designers.
Advancements in material science have dramatically increased the array materials available to designers. From shape-memory metal alloysto biodegradable plastics and others, modern materials offer incredible performance and aesthetic qualities that dramatically impact the possibilities for design. By providing a tangible link between the worlds of design and engineering, Mtrlis poised to become a significant resource for information and conversation about materials that will be invaluable to designers from industrial and product design, to architecture and interiors.
Founded in 1913by metals workers in the automotive industry, ASM Internationalhas been the leading resource for the advancement of diverse materials knowledge for almost a century. While ASMhas traditionally served an audience of engineers and scientists, the launch of Mtrlmarks an explicit expansion of ASM’s scope, to make this information more accessible to designers who use and specify materials in their work.
And if that isn’t exciting enough for all you design buffs, here’s a fun fact: ASM International’s headquarters at Materials Park OH (which is, in fact, its own municipality just east of Cleveland) is proudly located under a genuine Bucky Fuller geodesic dome!
