Materials for Sustainable Design

Premised on interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration to address timely themes such as biophilic design and circular economy, the Kusske Design Initiative is developing an experimental site to host a collection of bio-based and ecologically conscientious materials and eventually, an associated maker space. 

The KDI Materials Collection is housed in the alcove of the Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library located at 210 Rapson Hall. Browse samples on site during library hours or online in the catalogue at z.umn.edu/kdi-materials. 

The collection includes more than 250 different materials -- most in a variety of colors and finishes, bringing the total number of samples to nearly 1,200. It supplements existing discipline-specific materials collections and focuses on three categories of materials:

1. Those that are derived from naturally occurring sources, whether bio-based (derived from living or previously living organisms like plants, animals, fungi, or bacteria) or from mineral/earthen substances

2. Those manufactured from post-consumer or post-industrial recycled stocks, or 

3. Those that are certified by an environmental stewardship program like Cradle to Cradle, EU Ecolabel, or LEED.

The samples are organized by material family and class in bins manufactured from 100% post-consumer recycled material. 

Researchers can help grow the collection. Suggest materials for acquisition using the form at z.umn.edu/material-request.

A generous commitment from Manitou Fund to the College of Design at the University of Minnesota honors the memory of distinguished alumnus Christopher Arthur Kusske (BLA '78). The Kusske Design Initiative (KDI) reflects his legacy through widely inclusive events and collaborations among a growing design community. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, co-creativity, and celebration of the natural world, KDI programs and inquiries have transformative potential for the products we use, the places we inhabit, and the systems we tend. 

KDI is proud to partner with the University of Minnesota Libraries to develop and host the materials collection.