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Collections: Materials Library

Located in AUB Library, the Materials Library is a collection of new and innovative product samples including ceramics, plastics, glass, paper, metals, textiles, and timber. It aims to inspire and offer ideas in support of creative practice, as well as providing a knowledge of materials, their properties, and applications.

Everyone is welcome to explore and handle the collection during Library opening hours.


An image of AUB Materials Library showing the catalogue computer. An image of a bank of mental drawers. Each drawer is labelled with the material type it contains such as metal, and a location code – B1.1, B1.2, and so on. An image of AUB Materials Library showing the plan chest and paper display.

Material ConneXion & The Stacks

The library subscribes to Material ConneXion, a database of materials including detailed profiles, reports on applications and processes, and information about innovations and manufacture. To access, please register for a Material ConneXion account using your AUB email address.

The Stacks contains material deep dives, sustainability webinars, manufacturer highlights, trend reports, and much more, all written by the Material ConneXion research team. To access, please register for a Material ConneXion account using your AUB email address.

EduSeries

EduSeries is a suite of tools and resources focussing on the significant environmental impacts of fabrics, the commercially-available sustainable alternatives, and emerging innovations.

Please email library@aub.ac.uk from your AUB account to request the password to this resource.

New Material Feature

Bee Brick

Featured new material: Bee Brick

The Bee Brick is a bee house designed by Green&Blue which provides a habitat for non-swarming solitary bees such as red mason and leafcutter bees. Made from concrete with up to 75% recycled material from the Cornish China clay industry, it can serve as a garden feature or be used in building construction. The brick includes moulded cavities for bees to lay eggs, supporting their lifecycle. Solitary bees, which are crucial pollinators, are non-aggressive and safe around children and pets.

Latest Samples

Using the Materials Library

All of our materials are recorded in the Materials Library catalogue. The records contain detailed information about each material.

To log in, click the “Sign in with Microsoft” button and use your AUB login details. If this doesn't work for you, you can use the generic login found on this page.

Staff Borrowing

Academic staff can arrange to borrow a curated selection to use in AUB studios by completing and submitting a request form.

WGSN Interiors

WGSN Interiors brings together analysis, insight, and inspiration for creative organisations that use it to inform design, development, and marketing decisions for product and strategy. Once on the site, you need to create an account using your AUB email address to view reports.

Additional Materials Discovery Resources

Here are some additional web resources for exploring materials and products. Please note that AUB does not subscribe to these websites, so some features may not be available.

Architonic - a platform exhibiting products, materials, and concepts for interior designers and architects.

Material District - a digital materials library specialising in innovative materials and solutions.

Stylepark - a product selector and magazine for architects and interior designers.

Transmaterial - a database specialising in hi-tech materials and textiles for design.