by aleida, on December 6th, 2009
Image courtesy of Kirei USA
Kirei Board, purveyed by California-based Kirei USA, is a product that we have used extensively in past projects, so we could not pass up the opportunity to say hello to the people behind it. We met with Teresa Cooney, Marketing Coordinator, who was kind enough to walk us through their current offerings and even introduce us to a wholly new product as of yet unnamed that might be available for testing pretty soon.
The company offers four main lines: Kirei Board, Kirei Bamboo, Kirei Wheatboard, and Kirei Coco.
Image courtesy of Kirei USA
Kirei Board is essentially a substitute for wood. It is made out of 100% discarded stalks from sorghum farms in China, the biggest producer of that crop. The panels are also manufactured in China, and shipped to U.S. distributors. This is an incredibly versatile material. The company recommends it in architectural, millwork, and finished product applications, but it has also been used for cabinetry, wall coverings, furniture, and even lighting elements. We have used it primarily for graphic signage and other decorative designs. Kirei Board can be curved both lengthwise and across the width – either the 6mm or 10mm panels work great, depending on the curved surface.
Image courtesy of TorZo Surfaces
One relatively new development is a hybrid product called Tiikeri. TorZo Sustainable Surfaces is a company based in Oregon that specializes in the production of durable surfaces by taking reclaimed crop waste, such as wheat straw and sunflower seed hulls, and infusing it with an acrylic polymer. The process yields panels that are not only durable, but also very unique from an aesthetic perspective. Just a few months ago, TorZo put Kirei Board through that infusion process, giving birth to Tiikeri, a product that is appropriate for applications where the material might come in contact with water, such as countertops. (In the event of any confusion, Tiikeri is a TorZo product, and is carried only by them, not by Kirei USA.)
New developments in their Kirei Bamboo line includes the Chocolate Bamboo product. It is the result of a proprietary carbonization process which yields a rich dark color without the use of any stains. This means the color is throughout the material, and the three different board thicknesses opens it up to an incredible variety of applications. We also learned of bamboo veneer, which interested us tremendously for two reasons: 1) it can help projects achieve that unique look that only bamboo can achieve at a noticeably lower price level, and 2) it invites exploration and innovation when considering various applications. For example, depending on the backing that one chooses, light can pass through the veneer, which is perfect for, say, lamp shades. Since it is extremely flexible, the application possibilities are pretty limitless.
Image courtesy of Kirei USA
We were also very happy to see some entirely new offerings. One of them is their Kirei Coco line of tiles and panels. The line is crafted from the reclaimed coconut shells which are left over as harvest waste. The material is gathered from all over Indonesia and, as with all the other products, is manufactured in China. The collection includes panels and tiles made out of strips of coconut shell, as well as chunks arranged with their convex sides displayed. Some panels are filled with a resin, sanded down, and then polished, and there is also a completely raw version (a similar product is offered by the Brazilian company Ekobe which I’ve covered here as a good example of how companies are reconceptualizing waste). This line offers twelve different styles, and the panels are primarily for vertical applications such as wall coverings, headboards, and back splashes. The panels currently have a plywood backer which is also made in China. However it has no added formaldehyde or any other VOCs. A new addition to this line is in the works: a panel with a mesh backer instead of a standard plywood backer. This will allow for greater flexibility for additional alternative applications, and will come in at an even more affordable price.
Images courtesy of Kirei USA
Finally, we saw something currently going by the name of “hemp board.” It is not officially named, nor is it an official product, but it is similar to Kirei Board. John Stein, the owner of Kirei USA, joined in to give us a few more details about it. The board is made out of the inner fiber of hemp that is left over in the clothing manufacturing process. This inner fiber is a soft material with a very low density. Kirei USA has taken it and compressed it with a non-toxic adhesive, generating a board product with a wide variety of applications. They are currently considering it for ceilings due to its light weight. It is still in development, and over the next several months they will continue to work with factories and designers to see what they can make out of it.
And while not a new product, let me not forget Kirei Wheatboard, which continues to be a great, green medium density fiberboard (MDF) alternative. It is made out of wheat stalk left over as trash during harvesting, waste that would typically be either burned or sent to the landfill.
All in all, Kirei USA offers a stunning product line, and if you are working on a project that is seeking LEED certification, any of these products can help earn points at various levels of the rating system.
Thank you, Teresa, for your time!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by R. Aleida Montejo and Kevin ODonnell, Freie Mediale S.. Freie Mediale S. said: stories of sustainability: Kirei USA « threadpost: stories of sustainability: Kirei USA. by aleida, on December 6th, 200 http://url4.eu/t88T [...]
[...] Our conversation with her became one of our first in the stories of sustainability series (posted here). Back in January we did a day trip to San Diego for a US Green Building Council San Diego chapter [...]