Materialpedia is an informational database for alternative building technologies. The database is geared toward builders, designers, and building clients, giving detailed information about technological specifics, environmental impacts and efficiency, and performance.
Products in the database are organized in several different ways: product name, company name, manufacturing location (via google maps/earth), embodied energy, LEED points, CSI Division, etc. Products are searchable by each of these criteria as well. Each product entry contains extra information, including citations and references, related products, and relevant links.
Within each product, users are able to add their own product reviews, as well as information about current projects utilizing these materials. This allows users to gain specific information regarding product implementation, as well as information about their performance in real time. Users may also submit their own projects as case-studies, promoting their own work and abilities for potential clients, as well as creating a social network system to connect building professionals, pushing the exchange of information on these building technologies on a personal level.
Materialpedia was created and is operated by the Federation of American Scientists, a non-profit organization located in Washington D.C.. FAS has a longstanding reputation for humanitarian applications of science and technology, which includes investigation into environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and affordable building technologies.
FAS also maintains a MaterialPedia blog. It can be found at www.materialpedia.blogspot.com
