German materials research and development enterprise Kennwert, founded by Cornelia Beyer, architect Thorsten Klooster and artist Heike Klussmann, released three products favoring innovations in concrete. The company describes Dyscrete, a dye-sensitized energy-generating concrete, as a completely new type of energy-producing technology. It’s a solar active material that becomes a source of power. Its Dyscrete was seen during the materials exhibition at Orgatec in Cologne [Oct 2016].
Touchcrete, a new system of touch-sensitive construction materials based on a cement-bound medium, can be used in the development of touch-sensitive concrete surfaces. Non-mechanical switches are fully implementable with Touchcrete and entire wall surfaces can be designed to function as touchpads. Communication and information in regards to space sits behind the idea of Touchcrete.
The company’s third innovation, Blingcrete, is a light-reflecting concrete that combines the positive characteristics of concrete—fire safety, solidity, building methods—with those of retroreflection. It opens up possibilities in the areas of infrastructure, transport safety, architecture and interior design.
