The center's other healthy materials include stained concrete floors and low VOC paints on the walls and steel structure. However, when it comes to sticking to the basics, in some cases "we need to balance that impulse with eco-friendly synthetics," says Cardet. For example, "The solid surfaces are synthetic but carefully engineered to be healthy and can be recycled." Photo 4 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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The center's other healthy materials include stained concrete floors and low VOC paints on the walls and steel structure. However, when it comes to sticking to the basics, in some cases "we need to balance that impulse with eco-friendly synthetics," says Cardet. For example, "The solid surfaces are synthetic but carefully engineered to be healthy and can be recycled."