This article dives into Acelab's vision for a unified "material language" platform to revolutionize how building materials are selected, specified, and managed throughout the architectural process, addressing critical gaps in the current building technology ecosystem by providing comprehensive product data, sustainability metrics, and AI-powered decision-making tools that allow all stakeholders to collaborate effectively on material decisions.
Twenty years ago, the architectural industry underwent a fundamental transformation. Revit emerged as the central platform for building design, revolutionizing how architects create and document their work. The power of parametric modeling changed everything, and today the 3D model and the drawings it generates form the foundation of architectural communication.
But there's been a crucial gap in the building technology ecosystem. While we've mastered the tools for design documentation, we've lacked a central platform for one of the most critical aspects of building creation: material selection and specification.
This might seem surprising given that materials represent approximately 40% of a building's cost. The decisions architects make about materials ripple through the entire building lifecycle, affecting not just aesthetics but performance, sustainability, and long-term value. Without a common language for materials, owners struggle to maintain standards across their portfolio, architects can't easily communicate performance requirements, manufacturers lack a clear way to convey their products' unique advantages, and contractors face uncertainty about installation and constructability.
The urgency for a material decision-making platform has never been greater. Global supply chain disruptions have made traditional specification practices unreliable. Rising interest rates are breaking project budgets, forcing rapid material substitutions. Meanwhile, architects face mounting pressure to address climate change through their material choices. The old way of managing materials - through scattered spreadsheets, outdated binders, and siloed knowledge - simply cannot meet these challenges. We need a shared language that allows all stakeholders to collaborate effectively on material decisions from the earliest stages of design through construction.
The foundation of effective material decision-making requires a fundamentally new approach to product data. While product information has existed in various forms for decades, from printed catalogs to basic online listings, the industry has lacked a unified, searchable language for describing building materials in all their complexity.
At Acelab, we've spent years developing what we call our 'material language' - much like scientists mapping the human genome, we're creating a complete digital blueprint that captures every critical attribute and relationship of building products. Just as the genome reveals how genes interact to create complex traits, our language maps how material properties work together to determine performance, appearance, and environmental impact. This sophisticated framework allows us to understand not just individual components but how they combine and interact within building systems.
Our material language goes beyond technical specifications to include crucial practical information that architects need for real-world decision-making. Every product in our database includes current pricing data across different regions and detailed availability information, helping architects make informed decisions that align with project budgets and timelines. This comprehensive approach means architects can filter and compare options based on not just performance characteristics but also cost implications and local sourcing capabilities.
Central to this taxonomy is our deep integration of sustainability data, reflecting architects' fundamental commitment to addressing climate change and social equity through their work. Our system goes beyond basic certifications to include detailed environmental product declarations, embodied carbon metrics, and material ingredient disclosures - making this data actionable at the moment of decision-making. With the building industry accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, architects are uniquely positioned to drive positive change through their material choices. Through alignment with frameworks like LEED, WELL, and Living Building Challenge, we're empowering architects to fulfill their role as stewards of both the built and natural environment while meeting the immediate needs of their clients.
This shared material language creates a powerful foundation for collaboration between all stakeholders in the building process. When architects, owners, manufacturers, and contractors speak the same language about materials:
The result is fewer miscommunications, faster decision-making, and better project outcomes.
What transforms this comprehensive material language from a sophisticated database into a revolutionary tool is our multi-faceted AI capability. Traditional search tools force architects to know exactly what they're looking for and how to ask for it. Our AI takes a dramatically different approach, combining visual understanding with natural language processing and interactive copilot conversations.
Our visual search capabilities enhance architects' understanding of complex product attributes that are difficult to convey in words alone. When exploring window systems, for instance, architects can see detailed illustrations of different opening types and profile configurations. These visual references work hand-in-hand with technical specifications, helping architects quickly grasp key differences and make more informed decisions about which solutions best fit their projects.
Beyond visual references, our AI understands the nuanced ways architects think and talk about materials. An architect might ask for "high-performance glazing that maximizes daylight while controlling heat gain" or "sustainable cladding options suitable for coastal environments." The AI interprets these conceptual language requests but then goes further - engaging in a copilot conversation to refine and clarify exactly what the architect is trying to optimize. Natural dialogue helps architects balance competing priorities like performance, cost, and sustainability, ensuring they find products that truly meet their project's needs.
As architects interact with the platform through these various interfaces - visual, conversational, and traditional search - the AI learns from their decisions and preferences, becoming increasingly adept at matching products to specific project needs. This creates a virtuous cycle where each material decision helps inform and improve future recommendations, building a collective intelligence that benefits the entire industry.
While AI-powered search helps architects discover the right materials, our integrated workflow tools transform these discoveries into confident decisions. We've created a complete system that mirrors how architects actually work - starting with their established standards and expanding to innovative solutions when needed.
At the heart of this system is the firm library of standards, which serves as both a repository of proven solutions and a living record of the firm's material decisions. Every product in the library inherits the deep technical information from Acelab's comprehensive material database, ensuring that alongside the firm's own experience, teams have access to detailed performance attributes, sustainability metrics, and regional pricing data. Think of it as institutional memory made digital - every successful specification, every product performance insight, and every lesson learned becomes part of a growing knowledge base. When architects begin a new project, they start here, leveraging their firm's accumulated expertise and proven solutions.
The real power emerges when architects must look beyond their library - whether because a trusted product is no longer available or the owner's requirements demand a different solution. Architects can seamlessly move from their firm library to an AI-assisted search, refine their requirements through copilot conversations, and document their decisions for the current project. Each step enriches the firm's knowledge base, where better information leads to better decisions, project after project.
For now, the 3D model and the drawing will remain central to architecture - it is, after all, the universal language of design. But just as design documentation helps all stakeholders understand spatial relationships and design intent, we need a similarly powerful language for materials.
When all stakeholders share this common foundation:
This collaboration through common language doesn't just improve individual projects - it accelerates the entire industry's ability to address crucial challenges like sustainability, resilience, and constructability. As more firms adopt this shared platform, the network effect amplifies its value, creating a virtuous cycle of better communication, smarter decisions, and superior buildings.
Teams can confidently balance performance, sustainability, and budget requirements because they work from the same comprehensive material information. Manufacturers can communicate their products' unique advantages effectively, leading to better material choices.
This is the future we're building at Acelab, where our material language becomes the foundation for better communication, collaboration, and decision-making across the entire building industry. Because when we all speak the same language about materials, we can create buildings that unite inspired design with intelligent material choices.
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As co-founder of Acelab, Vardhan brings deep architectural expertise from designing U.S. embassies and institutional projects to his mission of transforming how the industry makes material decisions. His vision for a universal language in material selection, developed while at Harvard GSD, has earned Acelab recognition on Forbes' 30 Under 30 2025.
As Executive Chairman of Acelab, Dave brings over three decades of expertise in scaling industry-changing software companies, most notably as CEO of Revit Technology through its landmark acquisition by Autodesk. His vision for transforming how millions of design professionals approach product research and specification builds on his track record of successful leadership.
