Inter Matter

At Inter Matter, our mission is to ensure that all interiors are built with sustainable materials. We must #act now, roll up our sleeves, and use our #creativity to #design for a #PositiveImpact. Is your team committed to #circularity too? #Empower yourself and your 3team to embark on a #sustainable journey by exploring #circular #InteriorDesign solutions. Whether at an #inspiring location or within your own premises, let's make a difference together. We can host #InspirationSessions and #workshops to get you started. We can cover topics such as #Biomaterials, #DesignforDisassembly, Introduction to #LifeCycleAssessments (#LCA), how to use the InterMatter #MaterialLibrary, and much more! Feel free to drop me a message if interested. 🌱 Inter Matter, choosing sustainable materials through color. More info: https://lnkd.in/epuegJti

Are we the only ones tired of using #MDF???????? Medium-Density Fiberboard (MDF) is a widely used #BuildingMaterial made from wood fibers, resin, and wax. Its lower price and ease of use make it very common for cheaper #furniture and temporary #constructions such as #theater sets, #exhibitions, and #museum displays. However, MDF often uses urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin as a binder, which can release formaldehyde gas into the air. Formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen and is #toxic. Moreover, when MDF is cut or sanded, it produces fine wood dust, which can irritate the respiratory system and eyes. With long-term exposure, this dust may pose more severe health risks, including lung disease. Ask Marije Remigius, she became allergic to it by being exposed to it at work. And do you relate to the pictures in this post??? We are not the only ones who have faced these problems before. MDF might be cheap and easy to work with when it is new, but it’s a nightmare to #reuse or #fix. Good luck screwing into the same hole twice, good luck if a tiny drop of water makes its way into it, and good luck if the board cracks. Is that beautiful veneer chipping? Lightly sanding and applying a new protection layer will not be enough work. So if you design for disassembly or create a future-proof design, make sure you pick #better #materials. What are the #alternatives? #1.Find the least toxic MDF possible: In Europe, several labels and standards regulate formaldehyde emissions: #E1_Standard: Safe for use in interior applications without causing significant indoor air pollution. #E0_Standard: Often used for products intended for highly sensitive environments, such as hospitals and schools. #2.Use other materials: #Plywood: A less toxic material, with different levels of sustainability depending on the binders used and the source of the wood. It's even better if this plywood is reused from other projects. #AlternativeEngineeredWood: More and more companies are developing alternative engineered wood, such as Rik Makes with #Compostboards, which offers compostable wood boards made from Dutch renewable sources. #CorkBoards: Made from the bark of cork oak trees, cork boards are lightweight, moisture-resistant, and have excellent insulation properties. Cork is harvested without harming the trees, and the bark regenerates, making it a sustainable and renewable resource. #Mycelium: Made from the root structure of mushrooms (mycelium) bonded with agricultural waste. Mycelium-based materials are biodegradable, renewable, and have a low environmental footprint. 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 If you want to check the technical properties of MDF and compare it to other more sustainable options, check our FREE material library. Inter Matter (https://lnkd.in/erbWEErR). 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 #Sustainability #Reuse #CircularEconomy #DesignForDisassembly #upcycle #IndustrialDesign #GreenManufacturingb #RecycledMaterials #LocalMaterial

Here are 3 upcoming #SustainableMaterials in the Inter Matter #material #library. We have been working really hard during the last months, and we are almost ready to publish them. Any bets on what sustainability grade they achieved??? 1. Eversom - FIRE HOSE LEATHER Eversom products are crafted from decommissioned Dutch fire hoses, which have extinguished countless fires and saved lives. Though unsuitable for #recycling, these #durable hoses, often up to 40 years old, retain their color and shine, making them perfect for #reuse. In Eversom's workshop, these hoses are #transformed into chairs, carpets and custom #interior items. Each piece is a testament to #sustainability and innovative design, giving new life to resilient fire hose leather. 2. Rezign - RECYCLED TEXTILE VINEER   Rezign specializes in sustainable surfaces crafted from #TextileWaste. The company aims to impact the world by promoting the creation of #MeaningfulDesigns from recycled materials, encouraging a fusion of contemporary design and #EnvironmentalResponsibility. Their recycled veneer is made from #OldDenim, army clothing, suits, and #biobased fibers like flax, hemp, and jute coffee bags. These fibers are shredded, carded into felt, and pressed with a biodegradable binder into a hard veneer, perfect for high-end products. 3. | Hout van je Stad | - Local (city) wood Hout van je Stad uses #LocallySourced wood, such as wood coming from the Gemeente Amsterdam (municipality of #Amsterdam), reducing transport and saving unique trees from low-quality processing. This sustainable approach ensures that each project not only uses #ecoFriendly materials but also has a meaningful story behind it. Each piece carries the story of the tree's life, marked by its growth rings, knots, and cracks, much like the lines on a weathered face. They do not only produce #furniture with this beautiful wood, but they also #collaborate in the #design phase, exploring the potential of #LocalWood. As they say: “Using local wood requires courage, as its true beauty and quantity are revealed during sawing.” Thus, they can guide you through the process, ensuring that the final outcome meets high quality standards. These materials will be available soon, but meanwhile check the specifications of many other materials in our material library, FOR FREE. https://lnkd.in/erbWEErR Check our woirkshops and services too: https://lnkd.in/gZAca4Dd #biobasedbuilding #biobaseddesign #biobasedindustry #biobasedproducts #biomaterials #renewable #regenerative #local #recyclable #positiveimpact #dutchdesign #bluematerial #intermatter

The type of #screws we choose for our projects can make a big difference when #DesigningForDisassembly. #Reusing screws may be uncommon in the industry due to the need for proper harvesting, sorting, tagging, and storing, but it is not impossible. The key is to use screws systematically: always using the same heads, sizes, and lengths to facilitate reuse. Among the most common options, #TorxScrews stand out as the most #durable. By using them, we ensure that the heads do not break easily, avoiding those #StubbornScrews that make #disassembly #frustrating and #TimeConsuming. Torx head screws resist cam-out better than Phillips or slot head screws, preventing head wear and making them ideal for reuse. This concept is essential for designing for disassembly, promoting #sustainability and #efficiency in our projects. Don't miss this chance to learn more about #MaterialReuse and #DesignForDisassembly! Join the #Rethink, #Redesign, #Reuse #workshop next week! 📅 12th of #June 🕒 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm 📍 HMC satellite, NDSM Amsterdam (NDSM-Plein 27) Hout- en Meubileringscollege Secure your spot now! https://lnkd.in/e946c9Ww Let's design for a greener future together! 🌍💚 #Sustainability #Reuse #CircularEconomy #EcoFriendly #GreenDesign #DesignForDisassembly #TorxScrews #IndustrialDesign #SustainableEngineering #GreenManufacturing #ScrewReuse #SustainableProjects

Last call to join the workshop!!! https://lnkd.in/eEebptgC Tomorrow is Inter Matters Discover Biobased Materials workshop at the satellite location of Hout- en Meubileringscollege at #NDSM. We will learn about #biobased_materials and their use for #interior #design projects. Do's and don'ts. #Fuckpups and #success cases. Good and bad materials. We will talk about the #materials we have in our #library and the #producers we support. Among them, we will share the #compostboard #samples that Rik Makes sent us. New, fresh and sustainable! Join us!!!!!! https://lnkd.in/eEebptgC

As our workshop on #biobased #materials is approaching, here is a selection of #biobased and #sustainable materials you can find in our #open #material_library! 1.SEAWOOD BLUE (By Marjanne Cuypers-Henderson) At Inter Matter we love the look and feel of the products that #SeaWoodMaterials offers. They provide #fiberboards made from #seaweed, providing a natural, compostable, and chemical-free building material. SeaWood represents a significant step toward positive climate impact. Utilizing SeaWood in interior walls for homes and offices not only reduces emissions but also actively removes CO2 from the atmosphere, using seaweed and residual green matter as primary components. 2. VIFOUR (by VivErdie Industries) #Vifour introduces a #leatherlike material made from unrecyclable fabric scraps (93%) and natural binding agents, ensuring 100% circularity through a leasing system for endless recycling. It offers versatile design options and seamless repairs, aiming to eliminate virgin materials in the fashion industry. The process involves leasing items to designers, collecting #leftovers for recycling, and facilitating easy decomposition if discarded. 3.Riet Goed (by Iris Veentjer) The #Cattail plant, with its foam-like chambered leaves, yields strong, beautiful fibers. #Rietgoed extracts them, spins them into yarn and weaves them into textiles. Over the past year, #Rietgoed has extensively researched the best processing methods for these fibers. In the Netherlands, traditional agriculture in peat meadow areas requires pumping groundwater, causing peat oxidation, #CO2emissions, and soil subsidence. Growing water-tolerant plants like Cattail offers a sustainable alternative. 4. Mycelium (coming soon!) #Mycelium, the root structure of #fungi, is a promising material for the interior design industry. It’s biodegradable and can be grown into custom shapes and textures. It supports the transition towards a #circular economy by reducing waste, minimizing reliance on non-renewable resources, and enabling the production of eco-friendly, compostable products that seamlessly reintegrate into the environment at the end of their lifecycle. 🔵 📗 💛 🍊 🔴 ⚪ Check the specifications of the materials in our material library, FOR FREE. https://lnkd.in/erbWEErR Join here to our workshop! https://lnkd.in/gZAca4Dd It comes with a discount for students and BNI Beroepsvereniging Nederlandse Interieurarchitecten members! Wrtie us to find the code!

What to do with leftover HPL? High Pressure Laminate (HPL), such as Trespa and Volkern, is a significant waste stream resulting from e.g. facade renovation and interior products such as desktops. It is not recyclable and the disposal of HPL has a huge environmental impact. If the material is no longer applicable within its original function, it is nevertheless a high-quality material that can be repurposed to extend its lifespan. There are plenty of ways to reuse HPL, we’ve included it in many projects over the years, for example: 
 _ At WORM, we’ve repurposed all the HPL from former swimming pool Tropicana (now BlueCity (010), like lockers and changing rooms, for the stairs and walls. Trespa desktops were used for the floor. _ DordtYart showcases a wide variety of applications, we’ve reused former Trespa desktops for the walls, counter, doors, and more. _ For the Viisi Office, Césare Peeren (S.os) reused HPL desktops for the floor, the table tops and even the offcuts for the backrests of the benches. 👉 What would you do with leftover HPL? With our experience, we offer tailored advice and collaborative opportunities. If you want to find out more about the possibilities, reach out to us at [email protected]. Photography: Denis Guzzo, Allard van der Hoek, Sophie de Vos #zerowaste #reuse #circulareconomy #sustainableconstruction Viisi | Hypotheken, WORM, Instituut voor Avantgardistische Recreatie

At Inter Matter we found out that sometimes one same material can have two different sustainability labels. Why is this? Thickness plays a big role. For example, most wooden materials, like Arauco plywood, store more #CO2 per square meter as the material gets thicker, making the #CO2footprint more negative (#good). However, as the thickness increases, the #Ecocost also rises (#bad for the environment). Our sustainability assessments provide two key outcomes for each square meter of material. #C02 footprint and #Ecocost. These metrics allow us to easily compare the sustainability of different materials. If a material comes in a thicker version, it will have more material per square meter, which will affect the sustainability metrics and the overall assessment results. So what is the most sustainable option? The thinner the better! Actually, we can apply this same tip when working with #unsustainable materials too. We all know that in our projects, we can't always choose the most sustainable material. Acrylic is a good example of a material with unique visual properties that are difficult to replace. So, what should we do then???? -Choose the thinnest possible version of the material you plan to use.  -Design for disassembly. -Make sure you plan for a second, third, or even fourth life for the material. If we can't #replace it, let's make an effort to #reduce it! In our upcoming workshops, we explain these and other techniques on how to transition your projects towards a more sustainable, circular, and thoughtful future. Join us!!! (https://lnkd.in/epuegJti) #SustainableDesign #GreenBuilding #SustainableMaterials #EcoConscious #InteriorDesign #LifeCycleAssessment #CircularEconomy #EcoCost #CO2Footprint #SustainableInteriorDesign #workshops 

Here are the dates for our next workshops!!!!! 29th of May. Unlocking Sustainable Interior Design. Introduction to Life Cycle Assessment of interior materials 5th of June. Discover Biobased Materials. Explore the use of nature in your interior design. 12th of June. Rethink, Redesign, Reuse. Design interior spaces for re-use. Location: NDSM 27, Amsterdam Working towards a more sustainable practice? Wondering how to make a real impact while keeping things practical and efficient? At Inter Matter we offer a collection of workshops where we share our circular building knowhow with you. By joining them you will also support our free, #opensource, #materiallibrary and our efforts to build a community. #Museums, #Theatre, #Interiorarchitects, #builders, #designers, #researchers and #artists working together! 🤝 Moreover, do you want to inspire your colleagues or team on sustainable material use? We also host #inspirational #sessions or #workshops to get you started. In house or at a special location, we can customize your wishes to your budget. Send us an email to get in touch! For more Info check out our website: https://lnkd.in/epuegJti   A huge thanks to Hout- en Meubileringscollege for hosting us again. See you at NDSM 27 once more. Reach out to Jacomijn de Vries and Marlon Groenhart if you want to know more!   Together, we really can make a difference! There is a workshop discount for students, write to us to get the code!!!!! #Sustainability #InteriorDesign #Community #Circularity #Sustainableinteriors #circularmuseums #sustainablemuseums #museums #design #sustainablearchitecture #interiorarchitecture #greentheatre

Another week, another material story! Studio Samira Boon's BioFold repurposes wasted natural fibers like jute and cotton into new textiles, alongside discarded denim products. Combined with a compostable, biobased plastic, the resulting product is both waste-based and recyclable, offering a low environmental impact over its lifecycle, potentially even achieving a negative environmental impact after multiple recycling cycles. By employing Japanese origami and digital production techniques, the biocomposite material transforms into a functional, sensory and flexible architectural product. Due to its folded shape and structure, BioFold also has excellent acoustic properties. It gives interiors (from office spaces to restaurants) a distinct, sustainable identity and can be installed as a wall panel or an acoustic element. At Samira Boon they are textile architects creating dynamic environments with a great focus on the materials they use and their environmental impact. Their adaptive and interactive structures enhance the use and experience of spaces, acoustics, climate and energy. They develop concepts, and together with research institutes, they investigate technical innovations for 3D structures and sustainable textiles. Their Archifolds textile facade realized for Hermès has been recently selected as a 2024 Architizer A Product Awards Finalist in the Innovation category. Congrats! For more information on the specifications and sustainability assessment of Studio Samira Boon’s Bio Fold material, explore our FREE material library (https://lnkd.in/erbWEErR). _____________________________________________ At Inter MatterWe are working hard, adding #newmaterials, #sustainablematerials to the #mateirallibrary. We want to grow the community and share sustainable alternatives for the #interiorindustry, #museums and #theaters. If you have any interesting material and story to share, let us know. We will be happy to assess it and add it to our growing library. We grow by helping each other, let’s create impact! #biobasedbuilding #biobaseddesign #biobasedindustry #biobasedproducts #biomaterials #renewable #regenerative #local #recyclable #positiveimpact #dutchdesign #bluematerial #intermatter #origami #foldablefacade #textiledesign