Transmaterial » fiber

Woven Horsehair

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:00:47 +0000

Marianne Kemp develops woven textiles out of unconventional combinations of materials. Using small bunches of horsehair interwoven with linen or cotton, Kemp creates curious fabrics in diverse colors and textures. The horsehair is sourced from live horses overseas, mainly from Mongolia. In the weaving process, Kemp manipulates the bunches through knotting, curling, and looping. Each final weaving expresses the unique shine, texture, and flexibility of the horsehair fiber.

Kemp explains, “I’m fascinated by the movement of the weavings, how the horsehair is manifest in the net of the weaving technique. Also, the way the light falls on the weaving plays an important role in the process. Each piece of work has its own unique character.”

Contact: Marianne Kemp, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

Give Back Curtain

Blaine Brownell — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:00:51 +0000

The Give Back Curtain is part of a series of techno-fabric designs that rethink the traditional and modern applications of portable fabric screens. The Give Back Curtain gives a pliable fabric matrix the capacity to illuminate, define space dynamically over time, and provide a portable form of privacy without partitions.

The Give Back Curtain recycles light through a fabrication process that integrates photo-luminescent pigments in synthetic or natural fibers. Light of a shorter wavelength, such as sunlight or fluorescent light, is absorbed by the fabric, retained, and then released as visible light emitted within another part of the color spectrum.

Contact: Sheila Kennedy with Sheetal Khanna-Ravitch, Boston, MA, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

Mycobond

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:00:40 +0000

Mycobond is a mycological bio-composite that can be used in a wide variety of applications. Instead of conventional manufacturing processes, Mycobond uses mycelium—which is essentially the root system of a mushroom—to transform loose aggregates into strong composites. This process can be varied by using different species of fungus and mixtures of aggregates in order to make a composite with an optimal density, strength, appearance, and performance for the specific application.

Additionally, Mycobond represents a low-embodied-energy manufacturing process as the material self assembles at room temperature and pressure in the dark. Furthermore, Mycobond upcycles resources like rice hulls, cotton burrs, and buckwheat hulls that are otherwise thrown away, transforming them into valuable products, including rigid board insulation and protective packaging buffers.

Contact: Ecovative Design, Troy, NY, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 3.

NovaCork

Blaine Brownell — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:00:04 +0000

NovaCork panels are ideal for tackable surface applications located in high-traffic areas. The combination of post-consumer recycled cork and a post-consumer recycled Homasote substrate provides a durable and environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional cork boards. NovaCork panels are also available with a Class A fire-rating.

Contact: Homasote, West Trenton, NJ, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

Durra

Blaine Brownell — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:51:39 +0000

Durra Building Systems manufactures engineered acoustic wall, roof, and ceiling systems for venues such as theaters, airports, convention centers, and other spaces that have high acoustic demands.

The Durra Acoustic Panel is made from wheat straw and recycled paper, and it eliminates the need for multiple layers of drywall and up to half the studs used with conventional systems based on its structural rigidity.

The Durra Roofing System combines the roof with the finished ceiling, allowing both economic and construction-time savings. The Durra roof is constructed on the ground in sections of one thousand square feet and flown into place. In this way, each section can be installed at a rate of every two hours.

Contact: Durra Building Systems, Whitewright, TX, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

Husque

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:00:34 +0000

Before 1857, the macadamia nut grew nowhere else except on the mid–east coast of Australia. Australia is the largest producer of the macadamia and generates a large amount of discarded shells.

Queensland-based designer Marc Harrison seized this opportunity to reuse this waste material to create beautiful new products. After the macadamia kernels are removed, Harrison mills the discarded shells into fine particles and melds them with a polymer. He then molds the composite into various functional objects and surfaces.

Not dissimilar in appearance to Bakelite, Husque has a silky texture that can be enhanced by polishing with macadamia oil or wax timber polishes. It can be machined and has extensive applications in design and architecture. Husque can be lined with colors that can be machine polished to lacquerlike mirror finishes.

Contact: Husque Pty Ltd, Moorooka, Queensland, Australia.
Find more information in Transmaterial 2.

Maplex

Blaine Brownell — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:58 +0000

Maplex is an environmentally responsible alternative to traditional wood building materials. Maplex P (Performance) is a high-density fiberboard with twice the bending and tensile strengths of birch plywood of the same thickness. Maplex C (Contour) is a medium-density board, ideal for forming and bending into smooth curves. Both types of Maplex can be machined, bent, rolled, formed, punched, and laminated, as well as stained, painted, printed, dyed, and coated with a wide variety of finishing products.

Maplex is made of thin plies of softwood tree fibers. These fibers undergo a unique process that increases their surface area, boosting their potential for hydrogen bonding. Heat and pressure are then applied, releasing moisture and creating a strong, pliable fiber matrix. Maplex is manufactured without the use of bleach, binders, formaldehyde, petroleum-based products, or other off-gassing chemicals. Because no resins are used, the formability and appearance of Maplex is superior to other fiberboard products.

Contact: Weidmann, St. Johnsbury, VT, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial 2.

UltraTouch

Blaine Brownell — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:17:24 +0000

Bonded Logic, Inc., makes insulation out of recycled blue jeans. UltraTouch is a Class-A building material made from postindustrial recycled natural cotton/denim fibers that are treated with a Borate (boric acid) solution. UltraTouch meets the highest standards for fire, fungi, and corrosion resistance.

UltraTouch contains no chemical irritants or formaldehyde and requires no warning labels. Unlike fiberglass insulation, UltraTouch does not itch, is easy to handle, and can be installed without the use of protective clothing.

UltraTouch offers an extremely high noise reduction coefficient (NRC) to effectively reduce airborne sound transmissions, resulting in exceptional soundproofing in every room.

Contact: Bonded Logic, Inc., Chandler, AZ, USA.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

Circulation

Blaine Brownell — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:36:42 +0000

Designed by Monika Piatkowski, the Circulation rug and wall surface is comprised of circular wool felt pellets set within a honeycomb structure. This simple configuration allows the surface to be smooth and resilient while simultaneously being soft and comfortable.

Circulation is edged with Hessian webbing but other materials can be commissioned. The rug and pellet size may also be commissioned to custom dimensions.

Contact: Hive, London, UK.
Find more information in Transmaterial.

Cell

Blaine Brownell — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:34:49 +0000

Designers Yvonne Laurysen and Erik Mantel developed Cell while exploring alternative methods of fabricating carpet for LAMA Concept. Unlike conventional carpets, Cell is not produced with a loom, knitting machine, tufting technique, or textile printing. Cell carpet is made of 100 percent industrial wool felt that is pressed and cut into strips. Wool felt is a natural product that is nonflammable, water repellent, breathable, and acoustically absorptive. The size of the carpet is determined by the number of strips used, which are assembled randomly in order to develop a natural pattern with a varied edge.

Cell strips are offered in thirty-two colors, and individual strips may be ordered as replacements. Cell carpet is also offered with integrated LED lights as well as light reflecting Swarovski stones.

Contact: LAMA Concept, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Find more information in Transmaterial 2.