When Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec received a commission to create a rooftop shelter in Paris, they devised a system based on a tiny three-dimensional motif. Like their Algues product, Twigs is comprised by an aggregation of polypropylene units resembling small branches. The Twigs clip together on supporting cables, creating an extensive, irregular, and colorful tapestry. A Twig wall approximates camouflage, with a visual complexity resulting from the repetition of simple units. [Contact:
Vitra, Birsfelden, Switzerland.]
Labels: 12, multidimensional, plastic
Vector Glass combines the the precision of digital fabrication with the serendipity of handmade, kiln-formed glass. PadLAb works with architects and clients to translate vector patterns, drawings, text, and logos into custom-made panels of glass that contain controlled air-bubble imagery. The process begins by digitally incising the desired vector graphic into sheets of glass, which are layered and then fused into a uniform panel, indelibly trapping controlled air bubbles within the glass. The glass panels can be side lit to highlight the air-bubble images, patterns, and/or text frozen within the glass. [Contact:
padLAb, Los Angeles, CA.]
Labels: 08, air, glass, intelligent
Traditional Japanese shoji are sliding doors made of washi paper supported by wood crosspieces. The paper offers privacy and protection from wind but requires the lattice structure for support. For the Takeo Corporation’s Haptic exhibition, Japanese architect and materials researcher Hiroshi Ota set out to rethink the traditional Japanese architectural feature. After researching the Japanese papermaking technique called kami-suki (paper-scooping), Ota hypothesized that it would be possible to make self-supporting paper screens.
Ota formed a stainless-steel screen with a dimensional basket weave–type pattern using a rolling press. He molded two sheets of paper with this screen and attached them together after allowing them to dry. Once paired in this way, the paper sheets formed a truss capable of supporting its own weight and functioning as furniture. Although Japanese washi is typically appreciated for its lightness and delicacy, here Ota has used the paper to create stability and strength in a new sliding door. [Contact:
Hiroshi Ota, Tokyo, Japan.]
Labels: 12, door, paper, screen, ultraperforming
Andrea Valentini’s Bump material is a sculptural textile made from various fabrics bound to closed cellular foam. The foam is extremely lightweight and durable, imparting sophisticated Bump-clad bags and furnishings with a notable resilience. Bump is also flame retardant and resistant to ultraviolet light, making it even more durable. [Contact:
Andrea Valentini, Inc., Pawtucket, RI.]
Labels: 12, fabric, multidimensional, textile
Erwin Hauer Continua is a series of designs for perforated and light-diffusing architectural surfaces. Originally developed in 1950, Continua screens were made of masonry materials painstakingly cast in complex molds. With the advent of current digital fabrication technologies, Continua screens are now easier to fabricate and mass produce, and Erwin Hauer’s sensual, multidimensional shapes may now be realized in a variety of materials.
Developed in cooperation with Enrique Rosado, Continua screens are available in CNC-cut medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and stone, as well as precast concrete and high-strength gypsum cement. Panels may be shop-fabricated up to 4 x 8 feet (1.2 x 2.4 meters), and larger sizes must be assembled on site. [Contact:
EHR Design Associates LLC, New Haven, CT.]
Labels: 12, multidimensional, process, screen
Ikuko Iwamoto’s work is influenced by the microscopic world, and she is infatuated with cells, spores, and pollens. Iwamoto’s Tactile Ceramics are simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary in nature. They are vehicles to make visible an invisible, microscopic realm. According to the artist, her art conveys a world “of intricacy and detail, of mathematical pattern and organic chaos, of beauty and repulsion.” Although her previous conception of porcelain was cool and sharp, she found that porcelain could be rendered to have a smooth and warm quality in order to convey these influences in her sculpture. [Contact:
Ikuko Iwamoto, London, UK.]
Labels: 12, ceramics, multidimensional, porcelain
Underlit Flooring is a polished concrete-and-glass flooring system suitable for interior applications, such as kitchens and bathrooms, and various external applications, including gardens and terraces. Available by the square meter and in custom sizes and colors, the concrete tiles can be laid directly onto an existing floor. The glass lenses are lit by fiber optics laid directly under the tiles and powered by a single bulb that will effectively illuminate areas up to 1,076 square feet (100 square meters). The color of the light can be altered at the touch of a button or left to change automatically over a period of time, creating a subtly shifting ambiance. Underlit Flooring may also be installed as a wall cladding system. [Contact:
Concrete Blond, London, UK.]
Labels: 03, concrete, floor, light, recombinant
When Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec received a commission to create a rooftop shelter in Paris, they devised a system based on a tiny three-dimensional motif. Like their Algues product, Twigs is comprised by an aggregation of polypropylene units resembling small branches. The Twigs clip together on supporting cables, creating an extensive, irregular, and colorful tapestry. A Twig wall approximates camouflage, with a visual complexity resulting from the repetition of simple units. [Contact: Vitra, Birsfelden, Switzerland.]
