And we keep coming back to it...

No, those aren't fish eggs in sand nor a wasp nest with larva.
It's concrete. It's concrete with an additive. It's concrete with additive beads that make it lighter and durable.
Elemix is a polymeric sphere that can be added to concrete to make the mixtures lighter, more consistent, and resists cracking. The thermal performance increases and it's even easier to pump. The sustainability aspects of it are a little bit of a stretch but every bit helps, I suppose.
It can be used in topping slabs, equipment pads, concrete block, and other applications. And even though it's claiming all kinds of scientific development, I 'm pretty sure the Aha! moment came when the clumsy mover stepped in the newly poured concrete walkway at the brand new house, causing his boot to get stuck and him to fall while carrying the kid's pretty princess bean bag chair. Little styrofoam balls went flying everywhere, completely coating the wet concrete! Ruined sidewalk? No, no. Scientific discovery!
(And I promise I will stay away from concrete for a while.)

It's so Bendy!

It's bendy, it's undulating, it's wood! Created by Christian Kuhn and Serge Lunin, Dukta takes solid wood and cuts precise slits in specific patterns to get the wood to bend in three dimensions. It gives the wood an almost rubbery movement. Different cut patterns give different bending qualities. And the process could be applied to plastic and metal. The video on the website shows some possibilities set to some funky music.
And thanks to an online translator I can translate the whole website for you...
"Dukta is based on a patented application to the flexibility of wood and wood-based materials.
Dukta offers individualized project follow-up up to the realization of acoustically effective interiors, interior fittings and objects.
Dukta drawn up together with the carpentry Schneider AG in Pratteln standardized elements."
Not sure what this last line really means but you get the idea.

What is that Smell?

OLFactive, by MACtac, is a multi-layer film that actually neutralizes smells from the air. It doesn't mask odors, it actually absorbs them. It is a self-adhesive film could be used like a wallcovering and can have graphic printed on it. The layers consist of naturally occurring molecules with the ability to trap chemicals and an antimicrobial filter. Apparently alot of smells are created by bacteria. The bacteria itself isn't stinky but the process of them multiplying creates odors. The smell of bacteria multiplying...bacterial birth as it were.
That's enough to make you stop breathing.

Concrete Softened

Architects often use concrete for its sleekness (is that a word?), hard lines, and of course durability. Now Architects and Interior Designers can benefit from that durabilty but with soft, tactile, inviting concrete.

Ivanka Beton Designs makes these concrete tiles as part of their Flaster Collection with a pattern that reflects their Hungarian background.

Graphic Concrete makes larger scale tiles for interior or exterior application. The precast concrete has a special membrane that goes over the mould table to create the patternd in the tile. See their designs here.

Tactility Factory uses textiles to create interesting concrete tiles. They creat textiles with voids, press it into concrete allowing it to seep through the voids creating interesting patterns while preserving the textile for texture and color. They use linens and stitching and experiment with others.

Finally Daniel Ogassian has a line of concrete tiles with more precise patterns and moulds for a very clean, sleek look. Check out all his designs by clicking on the icons above the words Concrete Tiles.