With brands like Sharpie, Calphalon, and Paper Mate under its umbrella, its no surprise that Newell Rubbermaid employs a large roster of industrial and graphic designers: almost 100 of them are gathered here, at their new design center, where a product can move from early research stages through design to prototyping. Given the design-savvy nature of Newell Rubbermaid's work, it's no surpise they were sensitive to what materials they put into their new building. The project's principal architecture firm, Perkins+Will, actually maintains a precautionary list: an index of hazardous materials that their architects consult during their internal design process. It's all part of a growing awareness of how architectural materials can affect health. Photo 1 of 5 in Get a Primer on Healthy Materials in Architecture from this Cutting-Edge Design Center by Zach Edelson

Get a Primer on Healthy Materials in Architecture from this Cutting-Edge Design Center

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With brands like Sharpie, Calphalon, and Paper Mate under its umbrella, its no surprise that Newell Rubbermaid employs a large roster of industrial and graphic designers: almost 100 of them are gathered here, at their new design center, where a product can move from early research stages through design to prototyping.

Given the design-savvy nature of Newell Rubbermaid's work, it's no surpise they were sensitive to what materials they put into their new building. The project's principal architecture firm, Perkins+Will, actually maintains a precautionary list: an index of hazardous materials that their architects consult during their internal design process. It's all part of a growing awareness of how architectural materials can affect health.