Materials Library

The Materials Library is accessible and of interest to anyone with a passing curiosity about the material world, and frequently hosts the Weitzman School of Design’s professional programs in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Fine Arts, and Historic Preservation. Samples of this diverse and interdisciplinary collection range from construction materials like Indiana limestone and recycled plastic roofing shingles to emergent and cutting-edge materials like conductive paint and graphene aerogels to materials of historical importance like ultramarine pigments and Tyrian purple, a dye prized by Roman emperors.

The collection is intended for hands on exploration. Patrons are encouraged to interact with the materials to discover their properties and further their own research and exploration. The collection can be accessed in person or remotely in our online database which includes images and material descriptions. We continue to actively explore and collect new materials with an emphasis on sustainable, recycled, eco-friendly and healthy materials, and invite others to submit requests for new samples or areas of collecting.

Where to print, copy, scan