Green Materials

With the mainstreaming of sustainable design has come a dramatic increase in new green materials and products. Such green materials create houses that are good for their occupants’ health and bank accounts, as well as the environment.

Whether building a new house or apartment or renovating an existing one, green materials are essential.  By building, renovating, and equipping your home with green materials, you can preserve natural resources such as old-growth forests and fresh water systems. Selecting green materials typically involves an assessment of a product’s environmental impact over its life cycle. This process tracks the raw materials used to make a product; its manufacturing process; its transportation; its performance when it is used; and its disposal, reuse, or recycling options.  When choosing materials and products look for:

	The exhibition's materials resource room features examples of many green building materials.

High levels of:

• Renewability
• Reusability
• Durability

Low levels of:

• Embodied energy, the energy required to extract, process, and transport materials
• Environmental impact, the negative effects on outdoor and indoor environments

Below is a selection of materials used or featured in the exhibition, demonstrating the range, quality, and diversity of green materials now on the market. 

Materials used in The Green House exhibition design:

Benjamin Moore® premium latex paint
COLORS: #426 Fresh Grass, #623 Deep Sea, #552
Pleasant Grove, #705 Sioux Falls, #HC-118
Sherwood Green, #739 Un-teal We Meet Again,
#525 Savannah Shade, #581 Floradale Isle
FINISH: Flat
MANUFACTURER: Benjamin Moore & Co.
www.benjaminmoore.com

Plyboo bamboo plywood
FINISH: Amber
MANUFACTURER: Smith & Fong Plyboo®
www.plyboo.com

Edipo cork plank flooring
COLORS: Charcoal, greige, infinity blue,
bleach, primavera, red terracotta
MANUFACTURER: Duro-design cork & bamboo
Flooring Inc.
www.duro-design.com

Bamboo flooring
COLORS: Cinnamon red, mountain white,
foundation brown, amber
MANUFACTURER: Smith & Fong Plyboo®
www.plyboo.com

FLOR House Pet carpet tiles
COLOR: Frog
MATERIALS: Polyester and nylon
DESIGNER AND MANUFACTURER: Interface, Inc.
www.interfaceinc.com
www.apartmentzero.com

Entropy carpet tiles
COLOR: Chameleon
MANUFACTURER: Interface, Inc.
www.interfaceinc.com

Dakota Burl™ composite board
MATERIAL: Agricultural waste
MANUFACTURER: Environ Biocomposites™, LLC
www.environbiocomposites.com

Strata and Solo Clear ECOresin™
MATERIAL: Spectar* PETG co-polyester resin
with 40% post-industrial recycled content
MANUFACTURER: 3form, Inc.
www.3-form.com

Permeable interlocking concrete pavement
MATERIAL: Portland cement
MANUFACTURERS: Balcon, an Oldcastle Company
www.balcon.biz, www.icpi.org,
www.cement.org

Material samples in The Green House:

Ceiling Finishes

Beargrass ECOresin™ panel
MANUFACTURER: 3form, Inc.
www.3-form.com

Benjamin Moore® paint
Eco Spec® low-VOC latex
COLOR: #1459 Metro Gray
FINISH: Flat
MANUFACTURER: Benjamin Moore & Co.
www.benjaminmoore.com

Natural clay plaster with mica finish
COLOR: Lake Tahoe
MANUFACTURER: American Clay Enterprises
www.americanclay.com

Recycled agricultural waste composite board
STAIN: Rose wood
MANUFACTURER: PrimeBoard, Inc.
www.primeboard.com

Natural clay plaster
COLOR: Moab Tuscan Gold Blend 2
MANUFACTURER: American Clay Enterprises
www.americanclay.com

Baltico cork tile
COLOR: Emerald Green
MANUFACTURER: Duro-design
www.duro-design.com

Natural clay plaster with float finish
COLOR: Dakota red
MANUFACTURER: American Clay Enterprises
www.americanclay.com

Plyboo flat grain bamboo plywood
COLOR: Amber
MANUFACTURER: Smith & Fong Plyboo®
www.plyboo.com

Barriga cork tile
COLOR: Marble white
MANUFACTURER: Duro-design
www.duro-design.com

Benjamin Moore® paint
Eco Spec® low-VOC latex
COLOR: #HC105 Rockport Gray
FINISH: Flat
MANUFACTURER: Benjamin Moore & Co.
www.benjaminmoore.com

ECOresin™ panel with matte finish
COLOR: Pure Silver
MANUFACTURER: 3form, Inc.
www.3-form.com

Wall Finishes

3-D V2 recycled wallpaper
COLOR: White
MANUFACTURER: MIO Co, LLC
www.mioculture.com

Natural clay plaster with troweled finish
COLOR: Santa Barbara verde
MANUFACTURER: American Clay Enterprises
www.americanclay.com

Recycled fabric wall covering
COLOR: Salmon river
MANUFACTURER: Sina Pearson Textiles
www.sinapearson.com

Resource Room Materials
Dakota Burl™ agricultural waste
composite board
COLOR: Red stain
MANUFACTURER: Environ Biocomposites™, LLC
www.environbiocomposites.com

Edipo cork wall covering
COLOR: Azure
MANUFACTURER: Duro-design
www.duro-design.com

Abaca textile wall covering
COLOR: Bisque
MANUFACTURER: Maharam
www.maharam.com

Benjamin Moore® paint
Eco Spec® low-VOC latex
COLOR: #310 Popcorn Kernel
FINISH: Flat
MANUFACTURER: Benjamin Moore & Co.
www.benjaminmoore.com

ECOverings ECO-Gres™ tile
COLOR: Tiffany white
MATERIAL: Porcelain
MANUFACTURER: COVERINGS ETC.
www.amicusgreen.com

Plexwood
COLOR: Birch
MANUFACTURER: Plexwood
www.plexwood.nl

Innvironments® Eco-Suede wall covering
COLOR: Hickory
MANUFACTURER: Innovations in Wallcoverings, Inc.
www.innovationsusa.com

Innvironments® paper-weave six-by-six
wall covering
COLOR: Silverweed
MANUFACTURER: Innovations in Wallcoverings, Inc.
www.innovationsusa.com

Recycled glass tile

Recycled glass tile
COLOR: Mosaic Ice Blend
MANUFACTURER: Sandhill Industries
www.sandhillind.com

Fabric and paper wall coverings with
natural fibers, recycled content
MANUFACTURER: Maharam
www.maharam.com

Counter Finishes

IceStone® recycled glass and concrete countertop
COLOR: Forest Fern
MANUFACTURER: IceStone Durable Surfaces
www.icestone.biz

ALKEMI resin and recycled aluminum
countertop
COLOR: Natural 10
MANUFACTURER: Renewed Materials, LLC
www.renewedmaterials.com

Thatch ECOresin™ panel
MANUFACTURER: 3form, Inc.
www.3-form.com

Recycled paper composite
COLOR: Grey
MANUFACTURER: PaperStone™

Recycled composite countertop material
COLOR: Indigo
MANUFACTURER: Richlite Company
www.richlite.com

Recycled glass tile
COLOR: Mosaic Ice Blend
MANUFACTURER: Sandhill Industries
www.sandhill.com

Syndecrete
COLORS: Custom brown with tempered glass
chips; light grey with bourget confetti mix;
wine; black with abalone shell
MANUFACTURER: Syndesis, Inc.
www.syndesisinc.com

Cabinet Finishes

Recycled agricultural waste composite
MANUFACTURER: PrimeBoard, Inc.
www.primeboard.com

Dakota Burl™ agricultural waste
composite board
STAIN: Dark grey
MANUFACTURER: Environ Biocomposites™, LLC
www.environbiocomposites.com

Kirei sorghum composite board
MANUFACTURER: Kirei USA
www.kireiusa.com

Dakota Burl™ agricultural waste
composite board
STAIN: Natural
MANUFACTURER: Environ Biocomposites™, LLC
www.environbiocomposites.com

Strata ECOresin™ panel
COLOR: Agate
MANUFACTURER: 3form, Inc.
www.3-form.com

Plyboo bamboo plywood
COLOR: Natural
MANUFACTURER: Smith & Fong Plyboo®
www.plyboo.com

Floor Finishes

DuraPalm® mature coconut flooring

DuraPalm® mature coconut flooring
MANUFACTURER: Smith & Fong Plyboo®
www.durapalm.com

Green with Envy modular carpet tile
in style ‘Ducks in a Row’
COLOR: Pond
MATERIALS: Nylon fiber yarn, 100% PVC-free
recyclable backing system with recycled content
MANUFACTURER: Shaw Industries, Inc.
www.shawfloors.com

Vertical grain bamboo plank flooring
COLOR: Amber
MANUFACTURER: Smith & Fong Plyboo®
www.plyboo.com

Marmoleum®
MANUFACTURER: Forbo Flooring
www.themarmoleumstore.com
www.amicusgreen.com

FLOR House Pet carpet tile
COLOR: Frog
MANUFACTURER: Interface, Inc.
www.interfaceinc.com

EnviroPLANK terrazzo plank flooring
COLOR: Pewter with Enviroblue size #1 aggregate
MANUFACTURER: EnviroGLAS Products, Inc.
www.enviroglasproducts.com

Recycled aluminum tiles

Recycled aluminum tiles
MANUFACTURER: Eco-Friendly Flooring, Inc.
www.ecofriendlyflooring.com

Edipo cork flooring
COLOR: Greige
MANUFACTURER: Duro-design
www.duro-design.com

Java coir and sisal carpet tiles
COLOR: Cloud
MANUFACTURER: Tasibel
www.sisalcarpet.com

FLOR Entropy carpet tiles
COLOR: Change
MANUFACTURER: Interface, Inc.
www.interfaceinc.com

ECOpave recycled rubber flooring
COLOR: Slate
MANUFACTURER: Dodge-Regupol, Inc.
www.regupol.com

ECOverings ECO-Gres™ tile
COLOR: Gardenia
MATERIAL: Porcelain
MANUFACTURER: COVERINGS ETC.
www.amicusgreen.com

Roof and Wall Systems in The Green House:

Concrete roof tile
MANUFACTURER: MonierLifetile
www.tileroofing.org

Garden Roof green roof system
MANUFACTURER: National Building Museum
with American Hydrotech, Inc.
www.hydrotechusa.com

Sunslates photovoltaic roofing slates
MANUFACTURER: Atlantis Energy Systems, Inc.
www.atlantisenergy.org

Kerto® wall system with finger-jointed studs
Exterior and interior finishes: Kerto-S plywood, EcoSpec® low-VOC latex paint in color #425 Lime Twist
Manufacturer: Finnforest Corporation
MANUFACTURER: National Building Museum
with Finnforest Corporation and Benjamin Moore & Co.
www.finnforestus.com, www.benjaminmoore.com

Rammed earth wall system
Exterior finish: Concrete and sealed rammed earth veneer
Manufacturer: National Building Museum
www.eartharchitecture.org

Glass and reflective film wall system
Manufacturer: GLASFISCHER Isolierglas-Systeme
www.GLASFISCHER.de

Thick-wall Larsen Truss finger-jointed wood wall system with UltraTouch recycled denim insulation
Exterior and interior finishes: Tongue-in-groove cedar siding and gypsum board with Maharam Hikari textile wall covering in Umber
Manufacturer: National Building Museum with the Canfor Corporation; Lafarge North America; Maharam
www.canfor.com, www.lafargenorthamerica.com, www.maharam.com

Insulated concrete formwork (ICF) wall system
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR FINISHES: Concrete brick and
gypsum board with Benjamin Moore low-VOC
latex paint
MANUFACTURER: Bartley Corp., L.C. Smith Brick
www.forms.org, www.bartleycorp.com,
www.ncma.org, www.benjaminmoore.com

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) units
and coating system
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR FINISHES: Stucco and acrylic
www.imiweb.org, www.aacpa.org

Precast insulated panel with imprinted exterior
MANUFACTURER: Dukane Precast, Inc.
www.dukaneprecast.com, www.cement.org,
www.huntvalleycontractors.com

Pilkington Profilit™ transparent thermal wall
with Nanogel® Translucent Aerogel insulation
MANUFACTURER: Technical Glass Products
www.fireglass.com, www.pilkington.com, www.cabot-corp.com