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People gather and converse inside a modern, brightly lit space, viewed through open glass doors adorned with "METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab" signage.
All photos by Kevin Serna

July 1, 2026

Highlights from the 2026 METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab at NeoCon

The sixth annual Sustainability Lab invited the A&D community to explore how creativity and material innovation can shape a healthier, more sustainable built environment.

By: Metropolis Editors

On the 11th floor of the Mart, the METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab returned to NeoCon for its sixth year with engaging programs, interactive activations, and hands-on exhibits exploring the future of sustainable design.

Welcoming thousands of visitors, this year’s Lab embraced the theme “Good is Fun,” celebrating the idea that creativity, imagination, playfulness, and self-expression are essential to planet-positive design. Throughout the week, attendees discovered new ways to make a meaningful impact on both people and the planet through healthy, sustainable, and innovative design solutions.

Three women stand and converse near a METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab display board filled with charts and QR codes in a modern room with patterned walls and framed artwork.

The Sustainability Lab featured a diverse mix of experiences designed to educate, inspire, and engage attendees. More than 20 product exhibits showcased sustainable materials, innovative products, and expert insights, while a special exhibit curated by METROPOLIS editors highlighted cutting-edge biobased products and nature-derived material solutions for interiors.

Among the week’s interactive experiences was the Good is Fun Material Palette Challenge, where attendees created custom material palettes using samples from Lab partners in a hands-on design exercise that encouraged experimentation and creative material exploration. The Sustainability Lab Café provided a welcoming space for visitors to connect, recharge, and continue conversations sparked throughout the show.

Partner activations from Carnegie, Ekoa by Lingrove, Garden on the Wall, and Real American Hardwood demonstrated innovative approaches to healthy and sustainable design. An installation from Model No. showcased the company’s 3D-printed furniture manufactured from plant-based corn resin, illustrating how advanced manufacturing and renewable materials can come together to reduce environmental impact without compromising design.

Modern office lounge with wooden furniture, potted plants, and natural light. Three people stand talking in the background near desks and windows of the METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab.

The Lab also hosted two Sustainability Lab Crawls led by METROPOLIS editor in chief Avi Rajagopal. A Lunch + Lab tour welcomed more than 70 architects and interior designers for guided conversations about the latest sustainable materials and strategies, while a second crawl introduced members of the First NeoCon community to the exhibitors and ideas shaping the future of specification.

An exhibit of METROPOLIS Planet Positive Award–winning projects rounded out the experience, highlighting excellence in sustainable, healthy, and equitable design across the built environment.

From inspiring installations to thought-provoking conversations and forward-thinking material innovations, the 2026 METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab offered practical resources and fresh ideas for creating spaces that support both people and the planet.

A group of people sits and stands in a modern, well-lit room at the METROPOLIS Sustainability Lab, listening to a person speaking at the front near a column.

This year’s lab partners included Arper, Behr, Bentley, Camira, Carnegie + Kirei, Duvaltex, Ekoa, Excel, Garden on the Wall, Loll Designs, Mannington Commercial, Material Bank, Milliken, Mohawk Group, Model No., Pallas, Parador, Real American Hardwood, Room&Board for Business, Shaw Contract, Tate, Turf Design, Unika Vaev.

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