A long time ago before we were born, probably after he’d had a few and was waxing philosophical, Chicago architect Louis Sullivan wrote:

“It is the pervading law of all things organic, and inorganic,
of all things physical and metaphysical,
of all things human and all things super-human,
of all true manifestations of the head, of the heart, of the soul, that the life is recognizable in its expression, that form ever follows function. This is the law.”

Sullivan designed intricate ornamental elements inspired by natural forms, which were meant to look completely complex and awesome as well as to express structure and the organization of his buildings.  Sometimes I wonder what kind of crazy architectural shenanigans Ol’ Sully would be wreaking if he’d lived during the era of digital fabrication; imagine what the man responsible for the content in the image below could have done with access to a computer and some lasers.

Image courtesy http://noonjes.wordpress.com/

Maybe if he were alive today, like the designers at metal fabrication shop MILGO/BUFKIN, Sullivan would have been inspired by the clustering habits of bacteria and protozoa to create perforated metal tiles with intriguing organic-shaped voids.  HyperGrill tiles can be used in places where you might see a standard (boring) metal grate.  According to the product data, the tiles are “inspired by cellular constructions found in nature. The automated fabrication of these flat, surfaces allows for the creation of a variety of periodic, aperiodic and random designs that find application in architecture and interior design” (Source: MetaMatter).  It makes sense to me that a dense pattern of openings would take its form from organisms that cluster and grow to fill whatever surface they inhabit.

MILGO/BUFKIN manufactures to customer specification using sophisticated CAD software, giant press brakes, metal shears, laser and water jet cutters, punches, and precision welding equipment.  They fabricate all things metal, from “massive curtain wall components to column covers to decorative metal trim to fine sculpture.”  They’re based in Brooklyn and it’s my understanding that you can schedule a tour of their facilities if you’re so inclined.

Images courtesy MILGO/BUFKIN

WU XING:

I’m filing HyperGrills under Metal because they’re taking advantage of the wondrous properties of said material by being fabricated out of it.

Even if building owners aren’t always eager to spend the considerable amount of capital it takes to certify their projects with green building programs like the US Green Building Council’s LEED and the Green Building Initiative’s Green Globes, municipalities are increasingly adopting green standards into law.  Green building programs and codes don’t expressly certify materials, but material choices can go a long way towards meeting recycled content, low VOC, and reclaimed materials requirements for certification.

Kirei USA (kirei is the Japanese character signifying “beautiful”or “clean,” and it’s pronounced “Key’-ray,” in case you wondered) seeks to introduce panel products manufactured from rapidly renewable and reclaimed agricultural fibers to market for use in building interiors.

The base materials for Kirei Board, Kirei Coco Tiles and Kirei Wheatboard are the inedible stalks and husks of sorghum, coconut, and wheat plants.  The agricultural fiber that’s not sold by farmers for use in the manufacture of Kirei board takes up space in landfills or gets burned up and pollutes the air, so removing a portion of it from the waste stream is a good thing.  Additionally, rapidly renewable and/or FSC-certified wood are used as bonding strips where needed, cutting down (ha!) on “habitat destruction, water pollution, displacement of indigenous peoples, and violence against people who work in the forest and the wildlife that dwells there” (Source: Forest Stewardship Council).

I’ve often suspected that the reason people are living longer and longer these days is that we’ve been preserved by all the air born formaldehyde we’ve been inhaling our entire indoor lives.  Kirei products use “no added formaldehyde” adhesives, which sounds like an improvement over past materials – although the word “added” makes me think there might be some formaldehyde lingering in the mix.  I don’t know for certain; I do not review Materials Safety Data Sheets so I’m out of my depth.

Kirei Board: reclaimed sorghum straw and no-added formaldehyde adhesive.  A strong, lightweight, durable substitute for wood, intended for use in furniture, cabinetry, casework, and interior design elements.

Note: all images courtesy kirei USA.

Kirei Wheatboard: an answer to formaldehyde-emitting wood MDF products.

Kirei Bamboo: I’ve extolled the merits of Bamboo products before, and according to the product website, the veneers used in Kirei Bamboo panel come from dedicated bamboo plantations generally on reclaimed farmland.

Kirei Coco Tiles: reclaimed coconut shells, low VOC resins, and sustainably harvested wood backing for use as decorative tiles or panels.  Available in light and dark patterns.

WU XING:

I’m filing the Kirei family of products under wood because it’s all inedible agricultural waste and wood, and I’m also filing it under water because of the adhesives that are used to create the panels.