Transmaterials

Innovative Home Design (winter 2007) has a report on transmaterials. These are defined as materials that combine "technological ingenuity and artistic vision" to help us function and connect with the world in ways that are healthy, functional, and aesthetically pleasing.
Three materials that seem particularly interesting are: Reben, Power Plastic, and a Mirror Duct System for daylighting.

Reben is a wallcovering that falls somewhere between paint and wall paper. It is made of all natural materials, is nontoxic (even edible!), and is said to clean the air. The name means "alive" in German, although the product was developed by the Suzuran Corporation which is headquartered in Japan. The ingredients include: powdered Japanese washi paper which controls humidity by absorbing moisture in the summer and allowing it to evaporate in the winter; powder made from scallop shells that prevents the growth of mold and bacteria, and acts as a flame retardant; and titanium dioxide which deodoizes the air and absorbs pollution when the surface is hit with light.
The makers claim Reben is a durable material that performs better than wallpaper. It comes in a variety of textures and colors, and with integrated natural grasses. The "surface conveys a plaserlike richness."

Power Plastic

Power Plastic: This is a really interesting product that may make solar power much more attractive, economically and aesthetically, to builders and building owners. This photovoltaic technology uses lightweight, organic materials (inorganic silicone has been used in the past) to make thin films that can be layered onto a variety of plastics using relatively inexpensive, mass production processes similar to ink-jet or screen printing. The cost is low, the flexibility of the plastic allows for a variety of applications, and the films use a wider range of the light spectrum than conventional solar cells. Power Plastic can be manufactured in an array of sizes and shapes. It is one of the many nanotechnologies being developed in everything from make-up to --well-- solar energy. Konarka Technologies, Inc. produces Power Plastic. Their home office is in Lowell, MA.

Mirror Duct System for Daylighting: This product looks similar to traditional HVAC ductwork. However the inside is lined with aluminum mirrors which reflect and extend light "as much as 60 feet inside a structure". This is another product of a Japanese-based firm, Material House Company, Ltd. The technology is entirely passive, using no energy (beyond what it takes to manufacture it). It reduces the need for artificial light and for the cooling often needed as a result of heat generated by lights, thus decreasing electrical energy use and CO2 emissions.