Climate Positive Now is an educational messaging project developed by Material Intelligence, inspired by a combination of research into the sustainability of architectural materials, and two decades of experience delivering educational content to interior designers and architects.
For the last dozen years, Material Intelligence founder Kenn Busch has been creating materials-focused Certified Education Unit articles and presentations for practicing architects and interior designers. Through this experience Kenn realized that every specifier needs more than just information; they must have opportunities to experience the wide variety of materials available to them.
His Materials Pavilion projects provide A&D specifiers an educational, experiential space to explore and experience materials on their own terms. The Materials Pavilion installation at NeoCon in Chicago has become the busiest exhibit at the fair. “I love this place,” says a commercial designer, “because I can get three days of work done in 45 minutes!”
In mid-2016 Kenn began working closely with design educators and students to find more effective ways to reach the next generation of interior designers, creating content and presentations geared to their specific needs. The fruits of this effort inspired the website you’re visiting right now.
“Learning to connect with young designers is key to the future of smart design and the responsible use and preservation of our resources. Not only are these students the next generation of materials specifiers; they represent the next generation of consumers.”
Contact Us
Climate Positive NOW is a project of Material Intelligence. Follow us on LinkedIn!
Material Intelligence, LLC
PO Box 14293
Madison, WI 53708
+1 (608) 213-9662
kenn@materialintelligence.com
Kenn Busch
Kenn Busch is a journalist and architectural photographer based in Madison, Wisconsin. He is dedicated to bridging the knowledge gap between materials and sustainability for furniture and interior architecture. He has created and delivered dozens of certified CEUs for architects, designers, and design students, and organized and spoken at industry conferences in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. He has also curated material education exhibits at trade shows like SICAM in Italy, NeoCon in Chicago, and KBIS in Las Vegas.
Since 1990 he has edited and published several magazines in the furniture and materials markets, reaching readers in North America, Europe, and Asia. Bringing an international perspective to regional design challenges has become one of his trademarks, along with introducing materials suppliers to innovative ideas from other materials categories.
A journalist and the founder of Material Intelligence, sustainability subject matter expert, and founder of Climate Positive NOW, an organization promoting building materials that go beyond achieving net-zero carbon emissions by sequestering more carbon than was released in their manufacture and use. Wood-based “Climate Positive” materials benefit the environment by removing additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as no other building material produced at scale can.
Busch also offers a deep-dive materials resource for interior designers, architects, manufacturers, and design students and educators with material guides, CEUs, and extensive coverage of global design fairs through his Material Intelligence website. Additionally, he contributes to design and construction industry media outlets and creates educational content sharing insights on global materials, accessories, and components trends, with an emphasis on “climate positive” elements.