Architects’ New “Musts”: Breakthrough Performance that Exceeds Industry Standards

The increasing demand for high-performance structures means design professionals are raising their own specification standards. More and more architects require materials that perform above the ever more stringent industry standards for sustainability and resiliency. This benchmark-setting performance is a growing must-have in design across the board. Not just in tile and other built-environment products, but also in decorative elements and finishes such as performance paints (Valspar, Benjamin Moore, etc.), performance contract textile technologies (Sunbrella, Crypton etc.).

Concurrently, in surveys of architects and designers about what is important to them, aesthetic concerns are still uppermost. In contract design, the aesthetic requirements are increasing pointing towards products that feel more residential. According to recent research conducted by Interior Design magazine, the language surrounding the home-inspired contract aesthetic includes words such as comfort, heart and warmth. This new warm and soft look cannot bow to performance, though. Rather, the two must coexist.

This type of specification requires due diligence and attention to detail, as well as a time investment that results in trust-based collaborations with vendors. Happily, it pays off in buildings that are resilient against various forces and circumstance. Structures made to serve, delight and protect the people within. These same products help designers create spaces that are easily maintained, promote wellness and enhance productivity, socialization and collaboration.

The best news for designers is that brands are competing hard to be the most beautiful, sustainable and resilient. They are also investing millions in the scientific and technical research required to get there. While thoughtful manufacturing and design has become the standard, certain products that measurably raise the bar on performance are becoming the benchmark to which others aspire. These are the brands that have been diligent and forward thinking in their development for a long time, and that see this as a company vision rather than a simple marketing agenda. Mosa stands tall among that group of devoted brands.

Mosa developed the world’s first and only Cradle to Cradle® certified porcelain tile, adhering to elevated standards of sustainability. These porcelains embody all of the TCNA-cited health, safety and environmental benefits. Mosa tile is manufactured with advanced processes that create a natural, warm aesthetic with no two tiles looking exactly alike and a range of over 250 colors. Mosa provides five measurably superior performance standards that provide extra insurance to specifiers and their clients: