When it comes to architectural and design projects, selecting the several materials needed can be a challenge. Depending on the project, constraints, industry standards and context, choosing among different materials while considering different characteristics such as structure, quality, or colour, just to name a few aspects, is not easy nor straightforward.
For these reasons, sampling is a critical step in the development of a project, because it allows professionals to evaluate each material more closely and to get an idea of how the various materials identified will fit into the project.
However, it is often a difficult and very time-consuming process. Professionals often have to deal with lengthy web searches to choose suitable suppliers, disentangling themselves between incomplete and outdated libraries and hundreds of sites to search. And even when they choose the material they want, comparing specs of two or more different products could be a challenge.
Material Bank, a platform for searching and sampling materials resolves these inefficiencies by providing a unique space for searching and ordering free samples of materials for architecture, construction, and design.
An easier and faster sampling process with Material Bank
The aim of the platform is to help the work of designing professionals by connecting them with over 500 brands and spreading up the sampling process. Products are complemented by photos and technical sheets, making comparison easier and more immediate. Additionally, the platform facilitates the shipping process by sending all the chosen samples in one package instead of separate parcels.
According to one survey conducted by the platform, in fact, 93% of design professionals says sampling is the most important step before making a buying decision. And when considering a design project, there are several materials and suppliers to choose from. The possibility of both comparing similar products from different suppliers and products that will be used in the project (panelling, surfaces, flooring materials, etc.) allows designers to choose the most suitable materials for the application.
Material Bank facilitates this process by connecting in one portal suppliers of everything that a design professional needs: film, flooring, glass, leather, masonry & stone, metal, paints, panelling, resin, surfaces, textile, tiles, wallcovering. From the portal – which can only be accessed by professionals working in architecture and design companies – it is possible to order several samples and receive them, free of charge, overnight. All in a single parcel, making shipping less cumbersome and less burdensome for the environment.
These features have contributed to the success of the platform, which was born in 2019 and became available in Europe in March 2023. The platform is used by over a thousand of design professionals and adds thousands more every month.
Almeco lands on Material Bank
Almeco, world leader in the production of aluminum components and laminates for the architectural, lighting, solar and decorative applications, is always looking for new ways to improve its offering, both from product and service sides, in order to answer in a faster and more effective way to its customers’ needs.
Continuous innovation is in fact one of the company’s core values. An approach that has contributed, in over 60 years of history, to making Almeco one of the leading players in aluminium projects.
And it is with this spirit that the company has decided to join Material Bank’s community of suppliers of products for architectural and design applications, soon after the service was made available in the European market.
Choose from many high-quality aluminium surfaces with a few clicks
Almeco wasted no time in joining the project and is now one of the companies to have entered the programme as early adopters in Europe. A partnership that confirms Almeco’s excellence in delivering a high-quality service: all the companies that join Material Bank go through a stringent vetting process and 29% of applicants are rejected.
This partnership allows Almeco’s customers to get free samples of some of its top products overnight. In total, around 50 Almeco products in different finishes and colours are available on the platform. Specifically, design professionals will be able to find:
- bandoxaldecor, a range of decorative surfaces which offers many possibilities in terms of colours, from those who replicate natural colours to cool and metallic tones;
- bandoxalpro, Almeco’s range of surfaces optimised for architectural projects. The bxpro range provides aesthetical and technical surfaces with a highly resistant anodizing layer up to 25 micron. Customers can choose from different finishes (mat, satin, brushed and glossy) and colours;
- bandoxal3D, a collection of three-dimensional aluminium surfaces dedicated to architectural and interior design applications.
Choose the best surface for your project
The products are also complemented by images, documents, and technical data sheets, so that customers can choose the most suitable product for their project. The Material Bank platform also facilitates contact between professionals and Almeco’s Area Managers, so that the enquiring process is also sped up in case of any doubt.
For Almeco, the partnership with Material Bank represents another tool for gaining greater visibility into the needs of its customers and the application areas of its most popular products. With this partnership, which follows the launch of the company’s e-commerce just over a year ago, Almeco once again demonstrates its commitment towards the continuous innovation of its products and services.
