How to Make Smart, Sustainable Surfacing Choices

Sustainable design is as much about what’s beneath your feet and behind your walls as it is about the big-picture concept. In today’s evolving built environment, stone, tile, and surfacing materials play a critical role—not only in defining a project’s aesthetic, but also in meeting its performance, wellness, and environmental goals. Whether you’re selecting finishes for a commercial environment or refining the palette for a residential interior, smart material choices can enhance durability, reduce embodied carbon, and promote occupant health.

Here, we bring together our most up-to-date coverage on stone, tiles, and surfacing. Explore how four leading manufacturers are pushing the industry forward with unprecedented transparency, how to specify stone with sustainability in mind, and what to consider when choosing ceramic tiles for long-term performance and impact. Plus, see how these materials come together in a striking new ceramic rainscreen at Rice University’s Cannady Hall—Swiss architecture firm Karamuk Kuo’s first U.S. project.

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