Before the late 1800s — when the Industrial Revolution and modernism took mass production and integrated it into nearly every single aspect of the building process — artisans made custom parts for clients: sculptural staircases, hearths, fences, pediments, and so on. By the turn of the century, however, customization had fallen out of favor, giving way to the technological efficiency of machined, mass-produced parts.
Fast-forward to the late 20th century: with the advent of computer-aided design and digital fabrication processes such as CNC milling and 3D printing, a new hybrid of customization and mass production has gained popularity. Today, technology affords a high degree of personalization at lower cost than ever before, allowing designers and clients alike to specify one-off or otherwise bespoke pieces with the efficiency of mass production. A variety of on-demand products can be etched, printed, or projected to insert your own custom patterns or imagery into a project, without the traditional markup of made-to-order products.
Here are some of our favorite customizable surface treatments from the Architizer product catalog.
This Aluminum Composite Material has a unique, applied 3D appearance despite its flat surface. A single color is given a pattern (of your choice) by metallic flecks that are oriented to reflect light.
© Boone Speed Photography
Digital Murals by Flavor Paper
This custom-printed wallpaper can incorporate your patterns and images and comes in strips just like normal wallpaper. So, grab a friend and cover your walls in something that shows off your personality!
Formica Envisualizer™ Design Platform: User-Generated Patterns by Formica Group North America
Users can upload their own images or experiment with Formica’s algorithmic pattern-generation software that uses kinetic brushes and distorts scale, pattern, and shapes to make truly unique and unexpected designs for the iconic laminate surface.
Add a personal touch to walls and floors with this custom tile that can be specified in any color, size, and pattern. Your own images, and even LED lights, can be incorporated.
Glow Walls by Evans and Paul LLC
Gage / Clemenceau Architects used this custom luminescent LED panel system for their Installation in Times Square NYC. It is programmable and adds a barrage of effects to any project, big or small.
Bonus: Dekton by Cosentino
This ultra-customizable stone composite is a state-of the art surface that is very durable and can be personalized down to the particle. Daniel Libeskind showed off its potential at the Cosentino headquarters in Almería, Spain.