3-form chroma
i was leafing through the march issue of metropolis yesterday when i found an advertisement for this great product. called chroma, by 3-form, this diaphanous polymer panel is environmentally friendly. intended for interior uses in table tops, shelving, or non-load bearing interior partitions (no word on r-value so i doubt its suitable in thermal situations) it is nontoxic, highly durable, manufactured with low voc’s, and is completely recyclable.
coming in either one or two-inch thick panels the polymer is impregnated with a range of 27 brilliant colors covering two palettes: refined (a more subdued, organic, and standard range of colors) and bold (brighter, almost stained glass quality colors seen above). i love the ghostly colorful aura of the material, the gentle translucency. i bet this product would almost glow if you backlit the edges with led lights. unfortunately though it’s a rather pricey material.
aside from it’s leed certified manufacturing process and list of ingredients, 3-form’s business model for the product is commendable. chroma is intended to be recycled within a closed loop system as a technical nutrient; consequently, the company has options to lease, or rent, the material for a specified time. at the end of the lease one can simply send it back and the company will recycle it (i’m sure there’s an option to re-lease). in this way, 3-form ensures that the product will maintain it’s high quality and not simply be thrown away or downcycled.
This is a beautiful, translucent, light-diffusing and multi-dimensional-looking material; but I can’t help wondering why they’re hyping the leaseback option. Is this pure green-ery on their part, or is there some predictable deterioration over time that requires periodic refinishing/recycling? Is there anyone out there who has continuous experience with this material over a three to five year period or is it too new for that?
Also, the shipping costs are sky high, and I’m wondering if this reflects some special fragility???