This spring, Healthy Materials Lab continues to advance healthier, plant-based, and ethically sourced materials through exhibitions, public programming, and international convenings. From agricultural by-products to global design fairs, these convenings focus on plant-based innovation, material health, and regenerative design. We hope you will join.
>>AT THE TABLE IN AMBIENTE 2026
February 6-10, Frankfurt, Germany
Healthy Materials Lab participated in Ambiente in Frankfurt, engaging international manufacturers and designers in conversations about material health, transparency, and sustainable innovation. Read the recap on our website and catch the action here.
>>FROM FIELD TO FORM: CORN
April 30, New York, NY
Healthy Materials Lab and the Architectural League of New York continue the From Field to Form series with a focused conversation on corn as a regenerative building resource. Corn, the world’s second largest cultivated crop, offers promising potential beyond food and fuel. After harvest of the kernel, corn stover (stalks, leaves, husks, and tassels - often treated as waste) can be transformed into valuable biobased building materials that store carbon and can reduce cost. Corncob has been used for insulation, soil stabilization, and as a cement replacement when burned, while husk and stalk fibers are engineered into high-performance biomaterials that replace petroleum-based products. These innovations promote a circular economy, reduce environmental harm, and reimagine the role of the entire corn plant, echoing its historic importance as the “Bringer of Life” in Indigenous cultures.
Join us for a conversation with a plant geneticist, materials researcher, and innovative architects as we reframe our relationship with this ancient, revered plant and its descendants. We will explore how the vast by-products from the agricultural sector represent a critical opportunity to serve as new feedstocks for design, architecture, and construction.
Registration link coming soon, but please save the date. If you know you cannot attend in person, you can sign up to receive the recording here.
>>MATERIALS AT ICFF (THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY FURNITURE FAIR)
May 17-19, New York, NY
Healthy Materials Lab is pleased to announce our collaboration in launching the Materials section at ICFF 2026, part of The OASIS area. This curated exhibition, developed with our partners in healthy, climate-positive design, will spotlight the latest in bio-based materials, healthier alternatives, and sustainable production processes. We will highlight strategies for sourcing secondary byproducts, reuse, repair, and using biogenic materials—key pillars of a healthier, more regenerative design future. Join us for interactive workshops and hands-on sessions, where we will share practical approaches to these innovations. In partnership with Metropolis, this collaboration will showcase leaders advancing material health, sustainability, and regenerative design, and is supported by an inspiring lineup of talks and workshops. Stay tuned for more details. Learn more about ICFF here.
>>WHAT’S IT MADE OF? AT WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL
June 5-26, Frankfurt, Germany
Presented as part of World Design Capital, “Conversations at the Long Table” explores the ingredients of healthy building through biogenic, non-petrochemical materials. Curated by Leila Behjat (Healthy Materials Lab EU) and interior designer Silke Remmel, this exhibition transforms technical knowledge into a public, design-driven experience. At its center, “the long table” invites dialogue, exchange, and collective reflection on what our buildings, and consequently we, are made of. Learn more about the event and WDC 2026 here.
PARTNER EVENTS WE’RE SUPPORTING
We are sharing and amplifying several key convenings this spring that advance healthy, ethical, and regenerative material systems across the built environment.
>>HEALTHY BUILDINGS CONFERENCE & EXPO 2026
Thursday, February 26 in London and online
Hosted by the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, this conference brings together leaders across manufacturing, policy, and design to accelerate the adoption of healthier building products and transparency frameworks. Virtual tickets are available here.
>>DESIGN FOR FREEDOM SUMMIT 2026
Thursday, March 26 in New Canaan, Connecticut
Organized by Design for Freedom, this summit convenes architects, developers, manufacturers, and advocates working to eliminate forced labor from building material supply chains. Register here.
>>BIO-BASED MATERIALS COLLECTIVE SUMMIT 2026
May 7–8, Poughkeepsie, NY
The Bio-based Materials Collective Summit gathers innovators scaling plant-based polymers, agricultural by-products, and circular bioeconomy strategies for construction and product design. Register here.
From cornfields to global design fairs, this semester’s programming reflects a growing movement toward materials that are healthier for people, climate, and communities. We hope you will join us.
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