Jute-composite furniture
Technology transfer is a potent vehicle for design; it is a productive strategy that involves co-opting the materials or methods from one discipline for another. For example, architects have long held an interest in apparel design, borrowing products and approaches to create architectural textiles. As Torino-based yetmatilde reveals, textiles can also inform the world of furniture design.
Continuous Function transforms soft fabrics into geometric structures suitable for seating, tables, storage, and other furniture. The collection utilizes jute, which is the second most frequently used fiber after cotton, in an unexpected way. To create Continuous Function, the designers fabricate three-dimensional molds upon which they layer multiple sheets of jute fabric. Next, they apply epoxy resin to make the material rigid. Additional jute layers add further structural reinforcement.
Although the coupling of natural fiber and epoxy resin is not optimal from an ecological standpoint, the future substitution of bio-based resin will deliver a satisfyingly biocompatible result. From a material transformation perspective, the metamorphosis of supple cloth into a rigid geometric structure represents an inventive demonstration of technology transfer in design.
Contact: yet|matilde s.n.c., Torino, Italy.
For more information, see Transmaterial Next: A Catalog of Materials that Redefine Our Future
