Fiber Wall
Designer John Hoiby characterizes green composites as fully biodegradable and consisting of plant fiber and plant-based resin. Developed as a collaborative thesis between the Department of Architecture and Department of Textile and Apparel at Cornell University, Fiber Wall was designed to combine properties such as high structural stiffness, light transmittance, and the appearance of natural fiber. In its final form, Fiber Wall functions as a self-bearing, translucent space divider.
Fiber wall consists of three shapes of double-curved panels. The variation in shapes is kept to a minimum because the hot-pressing manufacturing process requires a different aluminum mold for every unique shape. The composite panels are made from sisal fiber, linen textile, and soy-protein resin and have a combinatorial logic that allows for growth in multiple directions. Circular cutouts create multiple possibilities in transparency and light filtering. [Contact:
John Hoiby, Waldermarshage 6, Oslo, Norway 0175.]
Labels: 09, fabric, intelligent, renewable
Make/Shift is a flexible shelving system that can be arranged to fill spaces of varying sizes and between walls or even pillars. The interlocking wedge shape of the units allows them to “expand” or “contract” within a space: a single pair may be used for small gaps, or multiple modules may be linked together to make larger units.
Conceived by Peter Marigold, Make/Shift was designed for frequent movers who often encounter difficulties adapting their existing furniture to new settings. The shelves easily conform to any space larger than 19 7/32 inches (the width of a single module). Make/Shift units may also be assembled into freestanding units using the clips provided.
Make/Shift is fabricated in black, white, and pink Arpro expanded polypropylene (EPP), which is a lightweight, steam-cleanable foam that is stronger and more resilient than expanded polystyrene (EPS). Arpro also recycles the CO2 emitted in the manufacture of the material, which may also be recycled at the end of its life. Make/Shift is available from Movisi. [Contact:
Peter Marigold, London, UK.]
Labels: 10, intelligent, plastic, shelving
Typical shelving systems retain the same configuration when fully utilized or when empty. Developed by Lateral Architecture, Soft Shelf adapts and changes with its contents and can be expanded or compressed to fit a variety of spaces. The basic shelf unit is composed of two strips of industrial gradefelt, segmented vertically and stitched at intervals to create pockets. Units connect to each other by Velcro, and shelf segments can be added as desired. Segments have aluminum eyelets at the top and are hung from a stainless-steel rod like a curtain. Soft Shelf can be hung against a wall or from the ceiling to act as a screen. [Contact:
Lateral Architecture, Toronto, ON.]
Labels: 10, fabric, felt, multidimensional
Structural polymers are susceptible to damage: cracks form deep within the structure where detection is difficult and repair is almost impossible. Damage in polymeric coatings, adhesives, microelectronic components, and structural composites can span many length scales. Structural composites subject to impact loading can sustain significant damage on centimeter length scales, which in turn can lead to subsurface millimeter scale delaminations and micron-scale matrix cracking. Coatings and microelectronic packaging components have cracks that initiate on even smaller scales. Once cracks have formed within polymeric materials, the integrity of the structure is significantly compromised.
Inspired by biological systems in which damage triggers a healing response, Scott White at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois developed a structural polymeric material with the ability to autonomically heal cracks. The incorporation of a microencapsulated healing agent and a catalytic chemical trigger within an epoxy matrix accomplished this healing process. An approaching crack ruptures embedded microcapsules, releasing healing agent into the crack plane through capillary action. Polymerization is triggered by contact with the embedded catalyst, bonding the crack faces. [Contact:
Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL.]
Labels: 06, plastic, polymer, transformational
I am pleased to announce the publication of
Transmaterial 2, the second volume of materials that redefine our physical environment. Published by Princeton Architectural Press,
Transmaterial 2 is comprised by 200 new cutting-edge materials for design and construction, and represents an important collection of recently-developed tools for sustainable design.
From the publisher:As the speed of technological progress continues to accelerate, innovation threatens to outpace architects' and designers' working knowledge of materials, thereby limiting their applicability. In order to stay at the cutting edge of design, a knowledge of the uses, properties, and sources of new materials is essential. A sequel to the critically acclaimed and best-selling book
Transmaterial,
Transmaterial 2 is a clear, concise, accessible, and carefully edited resource that provides information about the latest and most intriguing materials commercially available.
Based on a compilation of Blaine Brownell's "product of the week" electronic journal,
Transmaterial 2 includes more than two hundred materials and is indexed in multiple ways for maximum convenience. An excellent ideas generator,
Transmaterial 2 is an indispensable tool for any architect or designer looking to keep up with the current trends in the field of materials.
Praise for
Transmaterial:
New Scientist (UK), February 2006
Colorful and stimulating, and you don't have to be an architect to appreciate it. . . there is endless inspiration here.
res magazine, march/april 2006
A must-have for designers of all walks. Transmaterial's attention to the increasingly blurred lines between art and material.
Journal of Architectural Education, Nov. 2006
Truly innovative . . . will be of interest to all involved in the design arts who seek a greater understanding of emerging materials and to all who are committed to expanding the traditional classifications of materials within the building industry.
Fast Company, Nov. 2006
... a catalog and exploration of some 200 global eco-techno hybrids, an emerging field that has the attention of designers and scientists alike.
Order Transmaterial 2 here.
Designer John Hoiby characterizes green composites as fully biodegradable and consisting of plant fiber and plant-based resin. Developed as a collaborative thesis between the Department of Architecture and Department of Textile and Apparel at Cornell University, Fiber Wall was designed to combine properties such as high structural stiffness, light transmittance, and the appearance of natural fiber. In its final form, Fiber Wall functions as a self-bearing, translucent space divider.
