The idea of developing intelligent products according to the so-called Cradle to Cradle® design concept was developed back in 1987 by Professor Michael Braungart and his environmental institute EPEA (Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency, or Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH), which has received the Océ-van-der-Grinten Prize.
Not only is the concept a productive basis for innovative approaches to developing ecologically sustainable products, but also promises effective and sustainable approaches to architectural design and town planning.
The exhibition represents an inspiring, striking, and informative integrated visualization of the Cradle to Cradle® principle and its ecological and economic implications on the basis of a variety of products and their processes of development and manufacture.
The Netherlands occupies a leadership role, both in terms of product development and of the application of Cradle to Cradle® principles to architecture and town planning. In fact, a number of Dutch cities and communities have already incorporated Cradle to Cradle® principles into their development strategies.
The wealth of examples on view provides viewers with insights into a variegated spectrum of products. These range from "edible" textiles to compostable T-shirts, to floor tiles capable of purifying the air of interior spaces, and all the way to leased office furniture, innovative "click bricks" and recyclable tiles for interiors and exteriors. Even televisions can be conceived in terms of material cycles while nonetheless functioning impeccably.
The exhibition "The Next Industrial Revolution – Blueprint Netherlands" is part of the Cradle to Cradle® Festival, which includes an international symposium, lectures, roundtable discussions, and workshops.
26 January – 16 March 2011
Aedes Pfefferberg
Christinenstr. 18-19, Berlin