innovative materials

exploring innovative materials for architecture and design

Some of these materials are not catalogues from the supermarket. It is a glimpse through a half-open door that invites you to enter a rich world still brimming with surprises. This is just the beginning. Human curiosity will not be satisfied until we have a zillion polymorphous materials that together can be seen as a universal modelling clay for crafting everyday life.

We are on the verge of witnessing a veritable revolution, one that will lead materials for every requirement imaginable. Nanomaterials are already revolutionizing our knowledge, our concept and our control of the elements, opening the door to an infinite store of new materials and new qualities.

Full Blown

Sheet steel inflated under presure. Full blown is a successful combination betweenj the toughness and density of the metal and the apparent lightness of the inflated structure. A modernistic innovative technique which takes the raw strength of metal and completely changes our perconceptions of the material by creating harmonious beauty through a deceptively soft, organic appearance that defies its strength and rigidness.

After two sheets of steel (from 0.3 to 2 mm thick) are arc welded together around the edges, air is injected under pressure to create a three-dimensional volume. Borrowed from industrial processes used to make certain types of reserviors, this technique produces aesthetically unique cushions – no two alike.

Applications

Furniture, walls, windbreakers, accessories and scuplture

Dimensions

Range from 5 to 250 cm

“Extreme Forces fashion the metal, naturally contorting it to produce an equal but individually unique form.”

For each piece, permulations of finishes on stainless steel are used from a surreal pallet of many highly reflective mirrored surfaces and rich colours, giving stunning variations of different lighting conditions.

Full Blown Metals_Unit , The Clocktower_Buildings_Haverthwaite_Ulverston_Cumbria LA12 8LY_England

T +44 (0)709 2126 874

info@fullblownmetals.com

www.fullblownmetals.com

Shock-absorbing Foam

Shock-absorbing foams (SAFs) made of polyester are distinguishable from conventional foams because of their pronounced viscous-elastic behaviour. The reaction of the material varies with the rate of application of force. The viscous-elastic behaviour is strongly dependent on temperature (the foam becomes more pliable with warmth as from the body) and humidity.

The elements of SAFs help prevent bedsores, they are often used in the manufacture of orthopaedic and medical mattresses and cushions. The material ensures uniform pressure distribution even with heavy loading and offers a support similar to gel or liquid cushions. The relatively open-pored foam structure can “breath”. It provides good air circulation and reduces excessive perspiration. For protection and for reasons of hygiene, matress and cushion covers are recommended.

Composition

Polyester

Properties

Sound-absorbent, high density, open-pored (easily soiled), flexible, strong, returns to original shape after compaction

Applications

Health care (mattresses, cushions, earplugs) and architectural construction

Maintenance

SAF underlays and overlays can be washed, machine-dried and autoclaved.

Mute Room 2001

Commissioned by the CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco, CA

Created for the Rooms for Listening exhibition, Mute Room invites visitors to recline upon a wave of memory foam that fills the gallery space. As a room-sized device for listening to experimental electronic music, a contour of the foam’s surface operates as a sound baffle to enhance clarity. Similar to the way that musical notes “decay” in the air before dissipating, this surface has a transitory quality 0 impressions linger until fully erased by the slowly acting foam.

Thom Faulders of Beige Design fashioned an intriguing installation with SAF for the Rooms for Listening exhibition (California College of Arts and Crafts), which featured a spectrum of experimental electronic music and sound. The installation, called Mute Room, is composed of 1800 square feet of pink memory foam (SAF 60120), enough to fill the entire gallery like a fleshy hill, a gently rolling landscape coaxing visitors to walk around, sit down and curl on its surface.

Crossing the foam surface is like walking on wet sand, footprints gradually fading away. The “smart foam” erasers itself while retaining the original imprint in its memory. It contours the shape, typically a body part, giving both a satisfying feel and a high degree of support. The material creates an ideal lounging environment for experimental electronic music – the room becomes a cushion in which the music is paramount.

Swisstex_PO Box 9258_Greenville SC 29604-9258_USA

T +1 864 845 7541

F +1 864 845 5699

swissinfo@sprintmail.com

www.swisstex.com

Beige Design_The Tannery_738 Gilman Street_Berkeley CA 94710_USA

T +1 510 525 9602

F +1 510 525 9672

info@beigedesign.com

www.beigedesign.com

Jelly Tile

Soft, supple and viscous, Jelly Tiles adhere to all flat, smooth surfaces. The design of a wall decorated with Jelly Tiles can be changed every day if desired, as the tiles are quite easy to remove and rearrange. To restore their sheen and adhesive properties, simply immerse them in a basin of warm water. Thanks to the translucence of the polyurethane gel used to make the product, Jelly Tile can be combined with lighting to create any number of unique visual effects.

Dimensions: 125 x 125 x 11 mm

Keiko Oyabu_7-30-14_Tamagawagakuen_Machidashi_194-0041 Tokyo_Japan

T +81 (0)42 7259 655

F +81 (0)42 7255 769

keoyabu@attglobal.net

Living Floor

Modular Liquid Floor Tiles

Floor tiles which contains colourful fluids. Walking on them creates movement of light stimulating sensations of nature and atmosphere. The Mono-chromatic tiles leaves a memory and trace of a footprint behind due to pressure. The immiscible colours create an endless range of patterns.

“Walking on the LIVING FLOOR stimulates memories of nature like walking on a sandy beach or across a green pasture.”

They are produces in three different versions namely – METAL, SKETCH (one colour and bi-chromatics) and GEO.

METAL

This tile series contains floating metal elements. The METAL series’ surfaces react to pressure with slow subtle movements slightly altering the colour tones. The touch of a hand or the sole of the shoe can temporarily leave a written text or drawings on the tile which slowly fade away.

SKETCH

The SKETCH series gives the illusion of watercolour painting. Vivid colours on white base with multiple shades of underlying colours which appear and disappear on the white background while you interact with the tile surface.

GEO

Earth tone liquids placed on coloured backgrounds create a more intense movement and composition of colour.

Technical Data

Measurement: 497 x 497 mm

Thickness: 6/7 mm

Weight: 10 kg/mq

Fire Reaction: Class 1

Information

The recipe is simple – take two sheets of flexible PVC, weld them at the edges and encapsulate one or two colour fluids between then two – but the realization is complex. The external PVC tile is a non-slip surface and the lower layer is shockproof. The two sheets are combined with rigid PVC becoming a single piece.

Installing

Tiles should always be laid on smooth and flat surfaces. The surface has to be – HARD (use supports, non dusty and non friable), DRY (test the dryness by using a hydrometer, the degree of humidity should not be more than 3% in weight) and SMOOTH (in order to respect the perfect planarity of the entire surface, please apply a levelling product before installation. Make sure that the surfaces is completely horisontal as any differences in level can cause a non-uniform colour distribution).

Storage

Tiles should be superimposed two by two in order to avoid the bending of the tiles themselves. The tiles must always be kept in a horizontal postition. These floor tiles resist at temperatures up to 60 degree celsius, however the best reults are obtained at a room temperature between 10 to 40 degree celsius.

Maintenance

The tiles resist to diluted acid and most common products and detergents used for cleaning. Avoid carpet and mats with rubber supports (put a PVC or Polyamide protection under furniture and chair legs).

B.Lab_Via Marmolada 20_21012 Gallarate (VA)_Italy

T +39 0331 7744 45 _ F +39 0331 7348 44

living@blabitalia.com

www.blabitalia.com

GLOSSARY

abrasion – the process of scraping or wearing down by friction

adhesion – the property of sticking together or holding fast

elasticity – the property of a material that enables it to deform in response to an applied force and to recover its original size and shape upon removal of the force

fluid – a substance, such as a gas or a liquid, that is capable of flowing, yields easily to pressure and conforms to the shape of its container

foam – any of various light, porous, semirigid or spongy materials used for thermal insulation or shock absorption, as in packaging

nano – a prefix denoting a factor of 10-9

PVC – (polyvinyl chloride) a white, water-in-soluble, synthetic thermoplactuc material made by polymerizing vinyl chloride. Properties depend on the added plasticizer. PVC is widely used in the manufacture of floor coverings, insulation and pipes. Other applications are showes, garments and moulded articles

shape memory – a property exhibited by certain alloys able to recover their initial shape when they are heated after having been plastically deformed

vinyl – any of various though, flexible plastics made from polyvinyl resin, especially PVC