Acelab Launches AI-Powered Materials Hub for Architects

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — BROOKLYN, NY, March 3, 2025 — Acelab has officially launched Materials Hub, an innovative AI-powered platform set to reshape the way architects and designers select building materials. By combining artificial intelligence with the wealth of institutional knowledge within firms, this platform aims to simplify and enhance the material selection process, which has grown increasingly complex in modern architecture. The platform seeks to balance performance, sustainability, and cost while empowering teams with more informed decision-making.

“As an architect, I've experienced firsthand how the explosion of material options has made specification increasingly complex,” said Vardhan Mehta, AIA CSI, Co-founder and CEO of Acelab. “Every day, architects juggle performance requirements, sustainability goals, and aesthetic vision while trying to tap into their firm's collective expertise. We built Materials Hub because we knew there had to be a better way than hunting through scattered product data and hoping someone in the office had used a material before. This platform finally brings together everything architects need—comprehensive data, firm knowledge, and intelligent recommendations—in one place, transforming how teams make material decisions.”

Key Features of Materials Hub

Acelab’s Firm Library: Preserving and Growing Institutional Knowledge

1. Digitizes decades of material expertise and project experience for future use.
2. Evolves with each successful specification, ensuring continuous learning.
3. Makes critical knowledge accessible across teams, regardless of location.
4. Facilitates seamless knowledge transfer, even as teams change or expand.
5. Preserves valuable insights from senior architects for the next generation of designers.

AI-Powered Material Intelligence

1. Provides precise material suggestions based on natural language queries, such as “Show me slip-resistant tiles for freeze-thaw conditions.”
2. Leverages data from over 100,000 building materials and understands architectural terminology.
3. Surfaces hidden material options by interpreting intent, not just keywords.
4. Delivers thorough analyses across aesthetics, performance, and sustainability.
5. Offers complete documentation for LEED, WELL, and Living Building Challenge certifications.
6. Empowers every team member with intelligent, actionable material recommendations.

Streamlined Decision-Making Workflow

1. Enhances collaboration, regardless of team location.
2. Automates specification and documentation generation.
3. Optimizes material choices to fit the unique requirements of each project.
4. Evaluates materials across multiple metrics: performance, cost, and sustainability.
5. Seamlessly integrates into existing workflows and firm processes.
6. Reduces the time from research to final specification, speeding up the decision-making process.

Transformative Potential Proven by Early Access Trials

Early trials with prominent industry leaders have highlighted the transformative capabilities of Materials Hub. The platform has already proven to offer significant value in overcoming the complexities of material selection, helping architects and designers make better, more informed decisions while maintaining design integrity and sustainability goals.

"Materials are the foundation of architectural innovation and sustainability," said Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, Hon. ASLA, Design Principal and Founder of Ross Barney Architects. “Materials Hub has fundamentally changed how we approach material selection, ensuring that our choices not only meet performance requirements but also align with our sustainability goals and design vision. Having access to this depth of material knowledge, curated by architects for architects, is transformative for our industry.”

Leading architecture firms such as BIG, Stantec, SHoP, AECOM, CookFox, and others have already adopted Materials Hub during its early access program, underscoring its potential to change the way material selection is approached across the industry.

"Materials Hub represents more than just a technological advancement – it's a paradigm shift in how we approach design and sustainability," said Dave Lemont, Acelab’s Executive Chairman and former CEO of Revit. “The world of architecture is at a critical juncture where material choices have never been more important. By combining AI-powered search with collaborative tools and a firm's own project history, we've created a platform that will change the world of material selection. This is exactly what the industry needs to move forward and create a more sustainable built environment.”

Celebrating Material Innovation with Materials Month

In conjunction with the launch, Acelab is also announcing Materials Month, a month-long initiative dedicated to exploring material innovation in architecture. Throughout the month, Acelab will showcase daily insights from industry leaders and deep-dive discussions into various building materials that are shaping the future of architecture.

About Acelab

Founded by architects who understand the challenges of material selection, Acelab is dedicated to transforming the way the built environment takes shape. With a mission to ensure that every material choice matters—whether in terms of performance, aesthetics, or sustainability—the team at Acelab has created Materials Hub to empower firms to make informed decisions that enhance project outcomes. By bridging the gap between material science and architectural practice, Acelab is helping architects deliver spaces that not only meet current standards but define the possibilities of the future.

For more information, or to schedule a demonstration, visit acelabusa.com or contact chris@acelabusa.com.

Originally reported by Chris Beaudin in Construction Dive.