Architonic is proud to announce the launch of Materials Council

Architonic is proud to announce the launch of Materials Council – a new partner company in which it has a significant participation – at the London Design Festival, September 2012.
The forces behind Materials Council are its founders, Ian Hunter and Brad Turner, former materials researchers at the renowned international architectural practice Foster + Partners, together with Architonic as founding partner.
As a result, Materials Council combines the skills of design, materials applications and sustainability in architecture with expertise in digital technology in the fields of the internet, databases and mobile applications.

New challenges for architects, planners and industry

Sustainability, the right choice of materials, and design and execution that work in the most intelligent way possible with a material's properties – all of these play a crucial role in architecture today.
These accelerating trends are driven increasingly by responsible private, commercial and public clients in the form of building projects, together with regulations and standards now in force in many countries. What clients expect from their architects and planners, as well as from industry, is growing accordingly.
It is no longer enough to simply select a material or a product. The selection criteria have to be justified and documented.

Materials Council – consultants to architects and planners

For architects, it's almost a full-time job keeping up to date with the latest materials and manufacturing technologies and developments.
This is where Materials Council comes in, cutting through the proliferation of products out there and offering specialist advice to individuals and on projects. A fully independent consultancy, wholly uninfluenced by the manufacturing industry, Materials Council helps architects meet, and hopefully exceed, their clients' needs and expectations, and to build up a long-term body of materials knowledge.
What's more, the branding and marketing effects of working with Materials Council can help individual architectural practices develop meaningful, long-term relationships with clients.
In addition to this, Materials Council helps architects establish their very own internal materials databases – both in the form of a physical archive and in terms of a digital resource, delivered across various platforms, including web, iPad, iPhone and Android.

In all of these activities, Materials Council remains discretely in the background, leaving the entire focus on the professional expertise and brand of the individual firm of architects.

Materials Council – consultants to industry

When it comes to planning, regulations and norms are one thing. Sustainability is another. Making the right choices in terms of materials and products, ones which are demonstrably sustainable, is increasingly fundamental.
For the architect, this means more time spent on research, comparative study and documentation. Manufacturers, therefore, who offer comprehensive information and documentation on their materials' and products' credentials, are at a distinct advantage.
Materials Council advises industry on what information is relevant to architects within this process, which criteria provide a competitive advantage, and which support materials need to be made available. They also implement the 'translation' of technical specifications and innovations into a language that architects can understand most clearly, thus making them more accessible.
But more than this, Materials Council's dialogue with industry actually informs product development thanks to their expert knowledge of architects' materials needs.

In short: the more compelling a materials solution is for an architect, the greater the chance of the client agreeing to it being used.

Materials Council – consultants to universities and educational facilities

The subject of materials has tended to be just one aspect among many in traditional architectural training, rather than a central theme of the design process. In order to prepare the next generation of architects for a successful future, universities now need to focus on the sustainable application of materials in the construction industry.

Materials Council advises universities on establishing and managing physical and digital materials databases, as well as tools and mobile applications such as iPad, iPhone and Android devices.


Materials Council – exhibition curation and lectures for trade fairs and events

Convincing architects of the value of a product or a material solution is critical for manufacturers. As consultants on building projects, architects are highly influential and need to be won over.
It's no surprise, then, that a growing number of trade fairs and other events are competing for the attention of this important target group, with organisers recognising that they need to do more than just give a particular area over to relevant exhibitors. Added value has to be created for the architect as visitor, ranging from specific entertainment to training opportunities.

Materials Council curates exhibitions that focus on relevant architectural themes and practical material applications and innovations, ensuring that all the materials in question have been tested for specific applications and can be integrated into a construction project.

Their inaugural Whiter than White exhibition at Super Brands London during the 2012 London Design Festival shows how the search for a white material isn't as simple as it may sound, indicating which factors and criteria play a decisive role.

Materials Council exhibitions are intelligent and engaging, and are available in customised form, ranging from large-scale shows for trade fairs to small, pop-up presentations for dealers and showrooms. Their content is always enhanced by a lecture on the exhibition's subject.


Materials Council – communicating with architects and planners

Materials Council is the materials consulting service with the broadest and most effective appeal to its target group – architects.
It benefits directly from its partnership with Architonic, the leading online architecture and design directory and community.
Exhibitions curated by Materials Council are publicised on Architonic's various communications channels. Promotional opportunities range from virtual exhibitions on www.architonic.com and blog posts on www.dailytonic.com to activities involving Architonic's large Facebook community.

Moreover, Materials Council supplements its exhibitions with free mobile applications for iPad, iPhone and Android devices.

Materials Council – an open platform

Materials Council is an open platform that seeks to integrate experts on the subjects of materials, construction, design and technology from the field of architecture.
It is also planning to bring existing physical materials libraries into the Materials Council and Architonic network. The aim is to provide architects worldwide with an international team of experts, each of whom will be a leader in his or her area of specialisation and will have the relevant experience of local conditions and statutory requirements.


For further information, please contact:

Ian Hunter
hunter@materialscouncil.com
+ 44 7983 556 669

Brad Turner
turner@materialscouncil.com
+ 44 7732 618 540

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