It turns out black isn’t the only thing that can be slimming.

So can the way we use metal.

Sustainability is a very large word. It covers everything from energy and waste to longevity, communities and the careful use of natural resources.

But one part of it is refreshingly simple:

Use materials intelligently.

And that is where sustainable metal finishes become interesting.

The cross shown here is a complex architectural piece created for the top of a church steeple. Visually, it has all the presence and character of metal.

But achieving a metal surface does not necessarily mean making the entire object from solid metal.

Less metal. Not less character.

Seen before installation, the complexity of the cross becomes even clearer.

The finished surface has depth, variation and the visual richness we associate with metal, while the form itself remains wonderfully detailed.

And this is an important distinction.

Using less metal does not mean making the finished result look less substantial.

Metalier has been developed and refined over more than 20 years to create real-metal surfaces that can be polished, textured, aged, patinated and individually finished.

The expertise within the Metalier system creates those possibilities. Skilled applicators then use that system to achieve the finish required for the particular project.

Material efficiency is part of sustainability

Of course, no product gets to declare itself sustainable simply because it is thin.

Sustainability is bigger than one characteristic.

Manufacturing, energy, transport, waste, durability, substrates and the responsible use of resources all form part of the picture.

But material efficiency matters.

If a design can achieve the performance and visual effect it needs while using a valuable material precisely where it contributes most, that is worth considering.

It is not about pretending that using less material answers every sustainability question.

It is simply about using material intelligently.

Perhaps slimming isn’t such a bad idea after all

We tend to associate luxury with abundance.

More material. More weight. More everything.

But good design is often about achieving more with less.

Metalier allows designers to create the character and presence of real metal through a remarkably thin surface, even on complex architectural forms.

So perhaps sustainability really can benefit from the occasional slimming programme.

And unlike most slimming programmes, this one still lets you have metal.