Parsons Healthy Materials Lab Partners with ICFF 2026 to Launch New Materials Section at NYCxDESIGN

Material Innovations with Ancient Roots explores regenerative, biogenic, and climate-positive material futures through exhibition, workshops, and public conversations at the Javits Center.

Parsons Healthy Materials Lab is partnering with ICFF 2026 to launch a new Materials Section within this year’s international design exhibition at the Javits Center during NYCxDESIGN.

Presented within The Oasis at ICFF, Material Innovations with Ancient Roots is a participatory exhibition space exploring how design can regenerate, repair, reuse, and reduce, drawing from both time-tested practices and emerging innovations in biogenic, biofabricated, and biodegradable materials.

The exhibition features regenerative, plant- and mineral-based materials from the Healthy Materials Lab collection and library, brought to life in an immersive installation designed and constructed using products and materials from responsible industry partners and exhibitors. Located at Booth #1819, the exhibition invites visitors to see, touch, and engage directly with healthier and climate-positive material solutions shaping the future of the built environment.

Bringing together a community of designers, makers, researchers, and manufacturers, the new Materials Section highlights approaches to healthier material futures through secondary byproducts, circular systems, repair practices, material reuse, and low-impact fabrication methods.

The new Materials Section expands ICFF’s focus on material innovation, sustainability, and the future of responsible design practice.

Featured contributors include Daniel Michalik, HeeChan Kim, Loose Parts, Kamilla Csegzi Studio, MushLume, RISD Nature Lab, MycoWorks, Other Matter, and Lola Ben-Alon of GSAPP Natural Materials Lab.

Participating manufacturers and material partners include Alkemis, Columbia Forest Products, Cosentino, Duracryl, Durra Panel, Ege Carpets, Habitat Matter, Hempitecture, Humanscale, Hydro, Rarify, TimberHP, mafi, and nanimarquina.

Alongside the exhibition, Healthy Materials Lab will host a series of daily workshops and conversations focused on key pathways toward a healthier design future, including repair, embodied carbon, and material renewal.

• Repairing Design with Veteran’s Caning: A live recaning demonstration exploring craft, care, and longevity, encouraging repair over replacement. Sunday May 17, 1PM
• Unboxing Carbon with Martha Lewis of Henning Larsen: A conversation examining embodied carbon and the environmental impact of material choices across the design and construction industry. Monday May 18, 11AM
• Paint with Minerals Instead of Plastic with Alkemis Paint: A hands-on workshop exploring mineral-based paints as healthier alternatives to petrochemical coatings. Tuesday May 19, 11AM

As part of ICFF’s featured programming, Jonsara Ruth will join Francisco Brown, Senior Editor at METROPOLIS Magazine, and Lara Kaufman, Design Principal of Sustainability at Studio Gang, for the conversation Designing Out Toxicity on Sunday, May 17 at 3:00 PM.

The discussion will explore the ecological and health implications of building materials and the future of responsible design practice.

ICFF 2026
Javits Center, New York City
Booth #1819 at The Oasis

May 17–19, 2026