Acelab and Grace Farms Foundation Launch Industry-Transforming AI Solution to Simplify Design for Freedom Material Tracking
Materials Hub eliminates barriers to ethical sourcing across AEC firms, owners, and manufacturers
Acelab announces the launch of its impactful Design for Freedom Tracking solution within the Materials Hub platform, creating the industry’s first AI-powered system that transforms ethical sourcing from aspiration to reality for architecture and design professionals of all levels.
Making the Invisible Visible: A New Era in Ethical Material Selection
The Materials Hub platform directly addresses the urgent need for responsible building materials by seamlessly integrating Design for Freedom principles into everyday workflows, making ethical considerations impossible to overlook. Acelab executives Vardhan Mehta and Dave Lemont unveiled this transformative technology at the 4th Annual Design for Freedom Summit on March 27th held at Grace Farms in New Canaan, CT.
“Our partnership with ACELAB and the launch of the Materials Hub is a groundbreaking step in our shared commitment to eliminate forced and child labor from the building materials supply chain,” said Sharon Prince, CEO and Founder of Grace Farms Foundation. “Together, we are addressing a critical challenge to advancing ethical supply chains by enabling design professionals to source materials that are less at risk of labor exploitation. By making ethical material selection accessible and practical for architects and designers everywhere, we’re creating meaningful industry-wide change toward a more humane built environment.”
“The industry has been held back by disconnected, labor-intensive processes that require firms to manage complex spreadsheets and conduct time-consuming research to verify ethical compliance,” said Vardhan Mehta, Co-founder & CEO of Acelab. “Our AI-powered solution bridges the critical gap between the 10% of the A&D industry that understands forced labor risks and the 90% that needs actionable guidance. Materials Hub makes the invisible visible, ensuring that ethical considerations are displayed alongside performance, cost, and aesthetic decisions—creating a complete picture that transforms how materials are selected.”
Seamless Workflow Integration: From Complex to Intuitive
The intuitive Design for Freedom tracking system automatically integrates with project initialization, featuring:
- Intelligent templates with built-in Design for Freedom reporting standards
- Real-time certification data enabling instant ethical filtering
- Ready-to-implement product category schedules aligned with Design for Freedom Principles
- AI-powered risk assessment that flags high-risk locations and materials
This frictionless approach eliminates the traditional barriers that have prevented widespread adoption, replacing manual processes that required professionals to:
- Juggle multiple disconnected spreadsheets
- Conduct time-intensive product code research
- Navigate complex variables to determine ethical compliance
“Materials Hub places ethical labor considerations directly alongside performance and sustainability metrics, making it impossible to evaluate materials without seeing the full picture of their human impact,” Mehta emphasized. “We’ve translated complex supply chain data into clear, actionable insights through our AI platform, democratizing access to this critical information for all design professionals—not just specialists.”
Democratizing Ethical Design Across the Industry
“By eliminating the friction points that have traditionally limited participation in Design for Freedom, Acelab is transforming ethical sourcing from a specialized program into an industry standard,” said Dave Lemont, Acelab’s Executive Chairman and former CEO of Revit. “Our platform demonstrates the tangible business advantages of ethical materials—showing how DFF guidelines benefit not only vulnerable workers but also strengthen project timelines, risk management, and client relationships.”
Acelab’s groundbreaking technology delivers three transformative market solutions:
- Eliminates practical barriers to ethical material selection
- Creates unprecedented access to ethical sourcing tools for firms of all sizes
- Accelerates industry-wide adoption of ethical standards through intuitive technology
“By partnering with industry leaders to aggregate and validate ethical supply chain data, we’re creating unprecedented transparency in material selection,” said Mehta. “Materials Hub ensures that even smaller practices without dedicated sustainability teams can confidently specify materials aligned with Design for Freedom principles, leveling the playing field across the industry.”
Nora Rizzo, Ethical Materials Director at Grace Farms, noted: “What Acelab has created is a game-changer for practitioners at the forefront of material selection. Before Materials Hub, incorporating ethical considerations required extensive knowledge, research, and resources that most firms simply couldn’t access. Now, every architect, designer, and owner can make informed decisions about forced labor risks as they evaluate products holistically. This open-source technology transforms what was once an overwhelming challenge into an integral part of our daily workflow.”
Note: Acelab’s Materials Hub platform also integrates with other key sustainability initiatives including the AIA Materials Pledge & mindful MATERIALS Common Materials Framework, creating a comprehensive platform for holistic, ethical design practices.
