Delight Cloth

DELIGHT CLOTH by Tsuya textile Co. Ltd.

HINT: Light emiting textile!

"Delight Cloth is a light-emitting textile comprised of thousands of fiber optic strands. With a diameter of only 0.25 to 0.5 mm, the optical fibers are woven into a large translucent tapestry that can be hung vertically or horizontally. The material may be used for wall or ceiling treatments, as well as banner signage or clothing. Delight Cloth can be fabricated with imbedded graphics or logos, and may be used to emit a wide variety of colors of light."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Aegis Hyposurface

AEGIS HYPOSURFACE by Mark Goulthorpe of dECOi Architects.

HINT: Interactive walls!

"interactive mechanical surface that deforms in real-time based on various environmental stimuli, including the sounds and movements of people, weather, and electronic information.

The Hyposurface is comprised by a matrix of actuators, which are given positional information via a highly efficient bus system as well as an array of electronic sensors used to trigger a variety of mathematical deployment programs."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Fabcell

FABECELL by Dr. Akira Wakita’s Information Design Laboratory at Keio University in Japan.

HINT: Chameleonlike fabric.

"Fabcell is a flexible, nonemissive fabric made of fibers dyed with liquid-crystal ink and conductive yarns. These materials are connected to electronic components and woven into a square textile. When a low voltage is applied, the temperature of the fabric increases, changing the color of the fabric. When arranged in matrices, Fabcells can display subtle images within the curvature of flexible textiles. Clothing can also be enhanced with temporary self expression."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Digital Nature

DIGITAL NATURE by Karim Rashid

HINT: Pattering found in nature.

"The designs are: Replicant—a large-scale vertical wire frame pattern that resembles successive joints of an x-rayed leg structure or strong plant stalks that “climb” the height of the wall; Flexous—a pattern that creates topography on walls by referencing a molded wire frame, screen, or wrinkled fabric, which becomes luminous when the line work is lighter than its background; Zenith—zoomorphic masses of vertical strings that rise the height of the wall; Space Warp—avian-influenced patterns superposed with an irregular grid in translucent inks to reveal underprinting; and Rosetta—pairs of bud-like, spiralized forms composed across the wall surface in a serialized design."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Ingeo

INGEO by Designtex, New York, NY.

HINT: Corn fiber!

"In a notable departure from petroleum-based textiles, Ingeo derives its fiber from corn, an annually renewable resource. Bacterial fermentation is used to convert corn from a starch to a sugar and then to polylactic acid, which in turn is processed like most thermoplastics into fiber. Ingeo is a closed loop sustainable product: the natural origins of the polymer allow it to be safely biodegraded at the end of its useful life."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Krystal Weave

KRYSTAL WEAVE by Libby Kowalski of Kova Textiles.

HINT: Crystalline Curtain.

"A glistening matrix of transparent and translucent threads, Krystal Weave fabric is like a crystalline curtain, which offers a variety of possibilities for dividing spaces, enhancing windows, and covering upholstered wall panels in commercial and residential spaces."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Membrane

MEMBRANE by Korban/Flaubert, St. Peters, NSW, Australia.

HINT: Steel chaise longue virtually transparent.

"A single thread of stainless steel is wound in a continuous spiral, and then a force of twenty-eight tons is applied slowly and strategically to create its simple supine form. Surface and structure are one: there is no chassis; it is a true and organic monocoque."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Morphotex

MORPHOTEX by Teijin Fibers Limited, Osaka, Japan.

HINT: World’s first optical coloring fiber.

"Inspired by the chromogenic principle of Morpho butterflies that inhabit areas along the Amazon in South Africa.

Teijin Fibers has recreated this effect via nanotechnology, combining a total of 61 polyester and nylon fibers in alternating layers. By controlling the thickness of each layer ranging from 70 to 100 nanometers, they can produce four basic colors (red, green, blue and violet). Although no dyes or pigments are used for Morphotex, the process reveals a rainbow of colors according to the intensity and angle of light due to this unique structure of the fiber. As there is no dyeing process involved in producing the fiber, Morphotex saves energy and minimizes industrial waste when compared with conventional methods."*

*from www.transmaterials.net

Northern Lights

NORTHERN LIGHTS by Moving Color, Rocklin, CA, USA.

HINT: Glass that changes its appearance due to a change in T.

"Human touch, a change in the ambient air temperature, hot or cold water, or any relatively warm or cool source will trigger a thermochromic response. Northern Lights material may be designed in any size or thickness of glass, colors, as well as multiple activation temperatures. Moreover, the material’s base color may be matched to custom colors."*

*from www.transmaterials.net

BL Special

BL SPECIAL by Steven Holl with Nick Gelpi, Alberto Martinuzzo, and Alessandro Orsini.

HINT: Wood texturized panels.

"BL Special was developed to overcome limitations presented by conventional composite panels when modified with a laser cutter. BL stands for “Bi-Legno,” which translates as two layers of wood. The material may be readily folded along scored lines and is designed for the assembly of complex geometric structures as well as rapid prototyping applications."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Les Tuiles

LES TUILES by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Kvadrat.

HINT: Textile bricks system!

"Les Tuiles was conceived as a “immersive quilt” that erodes the fixed character of common spatial delineators like walls, doors, and passageways. THE SOFT TEXTILE BRICKS form a continuous surface that may be easily reconfigured based on contextual needs. Each unit is a “fabric sandwich” containing a soft and acoustically absorptive layer of cellular foam and only requires twenty seconds to be machine molded. Doors are conceived as self supporting and mobile modules that can be easily moved."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Cell

CELL by Yvonne Laurysen and Erik Mantel for LAMA Concept (Amsterdam).

HINT: Alternative method of fabricating carpets.

"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. 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."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Mute Room

MUTE ROOM by Thom Faulders of Beige Design.

HINT: Momory foam, soft material for experimental environments.

"NASA invented Memory Foam over three decades ago in order to provide comfortable seating for astronauts, although the material failed in space due to its temperature sensitivity, Memory Foam has been adopted for a wide variety of consumer products including mattresses and office chairs. Thom Faulders recently used Memory Foam to create his Mute Room, which was installed as a temporary listening environment for experimental electronic music at the CCA Wattis Institute in San Francisco.

As its name suggests, the soft material conforms to the body of its user and leaves a temporary registration of this interaction."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Bump

BUMP by Andrea Valentini.

HINT: Durable and resistant sculptural textile.

"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."*

*from www.transmaterial.net

Furore

FURORE by Yvonne Laurysen and Erik Mantel for LAMA Concept.

HINT: New soft material for either interior or fashion collections.

"Furore is a porous, synthetic-fur fabric inspired by expanded-metal technology, using a special cutting technique. Furore is soft, light, and very flexible and is available in long- and short-hair formats as well as in various colors. The Interior collection includes plaids, bedspreads, and cushions, while the Fashion collection includes scarves, hats, and hair bands."*

*from www.transmaterial.net