Neolith, a pioneer in sustainable architectural surfaces, recently took center stage at the Sustainability in Practice event, a special half-day event organized by Architectural Record in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This event offered a "master class" in sustainable design, led by acclaimed architects who have been integrating sustainability into their designs for decades and leaders from pioneering architectural solutions that incorporate sustainability to the firm’s DNA as part of their ethos.

In the intersection of research and practice

Among the distinguished architects who shared their insights during the event were David Lake and Ted Flato, founders of the Texas studio Lake|Flato and joint recipients of the 2024 AIA Gold Medal. Ted Flato is known for his regional designs that seamlessly integrate indigenous materials and sustainable strategies and emphasized the connection between regionalism and resiliency in architecture during his session titled Regionalism and Resiliency. He showcased how a holistic design approach can create highly sustainable and humane architecture.

Alongside Flato, David Lake discussed their integrated design process that considers climate, culture, and context to achieve sustainable priorities. Their firm, Lake|Flato, conducts thorough analyses of social and environmental history to uplift shared values in their designs.

Mario Cucinella, Founder of MCA (Mario Cucinella Architects), explored using architectural and bioclimatic design as a primary tool for sustainability during his session “Creative Empathy”. Cucinella emphasized the importance of research, data, and prototyping for building a sustainable future.

Carol Ross Barney, 2023 AIA Gold Medal winner and renowned for her civic space designs and her commitment to exceptional public spaces, focused on how Sustainability is not optional. She highlighted big ideas and small solutions that can be implemented in everyday architecture to promote sustainability, pointing out that climate crisis is a challenge of our generation, which we should act upon.

Improving building surfaces through sustainable technologies

At the heart of the event, Neolith's Global Project Director, Alejandro Daras, presented “Neolith for a New Era: Improving Building Surfaces through Sustainable Technologies”. Daras highlighted the responsibility of architects in choosing sustainable materials and solutions and emphasized Neolith as the best alternative for creating environmentally respectful buildings.

Neolith's innovative production process and its role in the circular economy positions the brand at the forefront of innovation and sustainability, reaffirming its indisputable commitment, not only with the environment, but also with the society.

Since its creation, Neolith has invested in resources to reduce the company's environmental impact, but also to promote the care for society, contributing to the creation of unique spaces to be lived in and advocating sustainable beauty in all its collections. The brand has achieved carbon neutrality for its main scopes and has R&D projects underway to capture CO2 to achieve Net Zero.

Due to their natural composition, Neolith surfaces do not release toxic gases during their life cycle, as they do not contain resins in their formulation. In addition, Neolith does not contain added plastics. It is crafted with up to 20 natural raw materials and can be recycled at the end of its useful life.

Its production processes are also respectful with the environment, since all the industrial water used is recycled and 100% of the electrical energy used during the production process comes from guaranteed sources of renewable origin. The company also recovers and recycles more than 96% of the industrial waste generated.

With unique offerings such as Rainscreen Systems, Neolith is leading the way in providing efficient and sustainable building materials, making it the smartest choice for creating sustainable buildings for both residential and commercial purposes, without sacrificing quality.

Neolith rainscreen systems are designed to deliver unparalleled performance, surpassing traditional cladding materials due to its high resistance to extreme weather conditions, its thermal efficiency, low maintenance and design flexibility.

Neolith for a New Era: building up on the future of sintered stone

Driven by a passion for innovation, sustainability, and excellence, Neolith has continuously pushed boundaries to create products that not only redefine the possibilities of design but also contribute to a more sustainable future, offering solutions that inspire fabricators, architects, designers, and homeowners worldwide.

With already the lowest silica content range in the industry, the firm takes a step forward in innovation and prevention and now offers a surface for a New Era with a new line of products that does not contain crystalline silica, thus confirming its position as change agent in the industry.

If you want to know more about Ventilated Facades or are looking for inspiration for your new project, take a look at our latest case studies.