Yaqing Zeng

Interior and Spatial Design Student Chelase College Of Art

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Evaluation Report

Unit Title: Expanded Practice (EP)

EP Title: Materials Innovation

Yaqing Zeng Interior and Spatial Design Second Year

Material Innovation continually opened, widened and expanded my understanding of various materials. I have learnt different materials and my knowledge have enriched in the material industry and technologies that will support my investigation into the material in further design.

During the study time, the greatest rewards I earned from Material Innovation is the knowledge of various materials. Each week I learnt a range of both physical material and digital materials, including the process of material development as well as the information of new material trend. Before attending this lecture, I have no idea what is the hydrophobic coating, bio-cellulose and biomimicry. Neither know how to use them in design. Material Innovation has opened my eyes to think about the ways in which I can negotiate with materials and techniques. It is very useful for me to update knowledge of different materials, which also inspired me a lot in material choose when I was doing my design project.

Another thought I got from Material Innovation is: it is not only important to know the innovation of material in contemporary design field but also necessary to understand where are the materials comes from. Learning the history and the make process of materials would be helpful in material utilisation. ‘ Unless you know a process exists, you will not even be able to have thought of using it.’ [1] This is one note caught from the first lecture of material innovation that inspired me to study not only in material but also in my design course with the new attitude.

Also, using blogs in this unit study is helpful a lot. Following the lecture, I have created a set of blogs to post some artist and designer work with the materials that related the content of each week lecture. Personally I think I did well. I wrote down the brief report of each lecture which help me review what I learnt in class; Then I pick up artists I am interested in to do deep researches about the way their deal with materials. I have to say that I learnt a lot from this part such as the skills working with material, the history and value of material and the trend of material usage. On the other hand, I did analysis in each research that help me keep thinking critically in material even the design field.

Another benefit that expanded practice offered me is the opportunity to study with the student who specializes in other design fields. It was fascinating because students from graphics, textile and spatial design sharing their specialist knowledge in one room. I really enjoyed the seminar that people present works and their blog post to everyone, which bring lots of resources to me. Also, the way that Graphic and Textile student negotiate to a project is different from Interior student, so it helps me to explore the new method in my research processes. Especially the class practice we did in week 5 about make the mood board, which is a great experience work with other students. However, I feel that the communication between us is still not enough. I think it would be great if students have more practice about making a particular subject together by using some material.

Overall, It is a very enjoyable study experience in Material Innovation lecture. I feel fascinating to explore the material field and keep updating my knowledge about materials. In my further study, I would like to expand my way to investigate and experiment materials to see how it works on future design projects.

Reference:  [1]: Sioban, Imms. (2015) Material Innovation. [Lecture notes] Expanded Practice. Chelsea College Of Arts and Design College, Block A, RoomA231, 16th,Oct 2015.

Words account: 616

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Biomimicry In Contemporary Design

Material  Innovation Week 6

In this week lecture, we were learning about some design process by following the history. Some old methods developed to be new processes with the technological development in 21century. For example the process of 3D printing and the design approach of Biomimicry. During the lecture time, I was particularly interested in Biomimicry technique in contemporary design.

What is Biomimicry

Biomimicry: Scientists and designers are developing more efficient solutions by looking to nature, and using technology to uncover previously unknown processes.( Imms, 2015 )

Personally, Before this lecture, I never know that biomimicry effect lots of products around us in daily life.

the design of Japanese bullet train was inspired by bird Biomimicry, (2014). Biomimicry.

LAYERING SCRAPS LIKE SCALES, Ecouterre, (2014). 

Textile design inspired by animal’s skin

Actually, biomimicry involved in big scale of design, not only for products and engineering, but for architecture as well.

Nature, (2015). Biomimicry in Architecture.

During my research process of biomimicry design I was attracted by a interesting interior installation design which the designers got the inspiration from algae.

Living Things: Jacob Douenias and Ethan Frier fuel Living Things installation with algae

Frameweb, (2015). Jacob Douenias and Ethan Frier fuel Living Things installation with algae.

Jacob Douenias and Ethan Frier concretely shape the theme of renewable resources with Living Things. Hosted by the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh, a contemporary art museum and experimental lab in Pennsylvania, the site-specific installation by the designer duo investigates the interaction between human experience and technology applied to sustainability throughout an approach that is at the same time artistic and scientific. (Publishers, 2015)

Living Things mirrors how micro-algae, specifically Spirulina algae, can be harnessed to fuel common household appliances, thanks to their nutritious properties and their wide availability. Capable of recycling light, heat and carbon, this material is contained by hand-blown glass vessels connected to each other with a system of hidden wiring and plumbing. Each vessel can be managed separately from a control centre, which is comprised of a series of knobs to reveal the mechanics behind the process. The entire space aims to mimic the typical house interiors, and presents a division in living room, kitchen and dining room. (Publishers, 2015)

The Creators Project, (2015). 

“ Microalgae are some of the most ancient and prolific organisms on earth. They are single-celled proto-plants without roots, stalks, or leaves. Despite accounting for less than 1% of the Earth’s total biomass, microalgae drive the biological pump which maintains our atmosphere and the balance of carboniferous matter theirin. The energy dense and nutrient rich material left behind by these microorganisms remains an almost entirely untapped renewable resource by humans.

We have begun to harness the power of other microorganisms in industries such as waste management, alcoholic beverage production, agriculture, medicine, and more recently biofuels. Microalgae, however, present a unique opportunity to designers. The absence of a superstructure to organize their anatomy allows the liquid suspension in which they live to be treated more like a material than a plant. The plasticity of this living material allows us to create living structures. These living structures recycle light, heat, and carbon dioxide from buildings and their inhabitants into rich green biomass which can be consumed as sustenance, used as agricultural fertilizer, or converted to biofuel. ”  (Fairs, 2009)

Vimeo, (2015). Living Things. 

Bibliography:

Sioban, Imms. (2015) Material Innovation. [Lecture notes] Expanded Practice. Chelsea College Of Arts and Design College, Block A, RoomA231, 20th,Nov 2015.

Biomimicry, (2014). Biomimicry. [image] Available at: http://biomimicry.net/about/biomimicry/  [Accessed 26Nov.2015].

Ecouterre, (2014). 10 Eco-Fashion Garments Inspired by Nature and Biomimicry. [image] Available at: http://www.ecouterre.com/10-eco-fashion-garments-inspired-by-nature-and-biomimicry/   [Accessed 26Nov.2015].

Nature, (2015). Biomimicry in Architecture. [image] Available at: http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/biomimicry-in-nature-slideshow.xml    [Accessed 26Nov.2015].

The Creators Project, (2015). Is Spirulina Furniture the Future of Interior Decor? [image] Available at: http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/en_uk/blog/is-spirulina-furniture-the-future-of-interior-decor   [Accessed 26Nov.2015].

Vimeo, (2015). Living Things.  [online] Available at:https://vimeo.com/128654962  [Accessed 26Nov. 2015].

Publishers, F. (2015). Jacob Douenias and Ethan Frier fuel Living Things installation with algae. [online] Frame Publishers. Available at: http://www.frameweb.com/news/jacob-douenias-and-ethan-frier-fuel-living-things-installation-with-algae [Accessed 26 Nov. 2015].

Ethan Frier, (2015). Living Things. [online] Available at: http://www.ethanfrier.com/living-things/ [Accessed 26 Nov. 2015].

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(Details and spaces - a temporary installation spatially linking Tate Britain and Chelsea College of Arts., 2015)

Paper Material Use in Outdoor Installation  － My Year One Design project

For last week blog post I researched about how architect and designers use the paper material in architecture and space design. I got a chance to built some large-scale installation by using paper as the cover material in my first-year interior and spatial design course. I would like to share this fantastic experience in this week blog.

It was a group project apart of Unit 1B: Design Intelligence. We were asked to choose some architecture details of Tate Britain and Chelsea College, redesign it in large scale then use wires, wood and paper to built it in the Chelsea Square.  The timber frame was be used to create substrates for the paper skins to form outer shells. We were learnt the gigantic paper and wooden oat structures for Nebuta Matsuri Festival in Aomori, Japan, as well as the English historic vault and dome structures.

Construction of Wooden Float Structures for the Nebuta Matsuri Festival, Japan ( Photographic Japan, 2009)

We were built the timber structure first.  We have separated to 7 group; each group designed their structure based on the original detail we choose together. Before started to built the large one, we did text in small scale model such as the stability of the wood structure and how to apply wires around it.

One of the most important parts of this work is it should be waterproof; even the cover material is paper. So we did experiment about how to make paper waterproof. We tried to apply the wax and glue on the paper then put it under the water see how it is going on. But finally, we decided to use oil, we choose a kind of oil basic using in wood waterproof. 

Some Waterproof tests from my group

The paper we used in this project is Shoji paper.

Shoji Paper" is the highest quality paper of laminated "Washi" paper manufactured in Japan. Shoji paper can also incorrectly be known as " rice paper ". Rice paper is a thinner paper and rice paper is also used in the manufacture of Chinese and Japanese lanterns. Shoji paper can be used in Shoji screens inside and outside Japanese homes and tea houses, used extensively for covering lighting fixtures, and can also be used to fabricate lantern windows for granite lanterns in the garden ( as preferred in Japan) instead of using opaque acrylic sheet. (Japangarden.co.uk, 2004)

Left: the test of applying the paper to the curve wire structure; Right: waterproof paper test, paper after being applied the oil

The detail of shoji paper after being applied the oil.

the finished cover skin after experience the rain.

The top video of this post shows our work process of this installation.

In our project, as its appearance, paper is the cover skin material. it is another different  way to use paper materials in space design.

Bibliography:

Details and spaces - a temporary installation spatially linking Tate Britain and Chelsea College of Arts. (2015). [video] Available at: https://vimeo.com/130885230 [Accessed 21 Nov. 2015].

Photographic Japan, (2009).青森ねぶた2009 Vol.30 　～ シリーズ　昨日［5月26日］のねぶた小屋 vol.23 ～ [image] Available at: http://photographic.jp/calendar/2009/05/27.html  [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

Japangarden.co.uk, (2004). Buy Traditional Shoji Paper.... [online] Available at: http://www.japangarden.co.uk/Buy-Traditional-Shoji-Paper-for-Repair-or-Manufacture-c-329.html [Accessed 21 Nov. 2015].

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Material Comparison: Paper as the material to built space

Material Innovation Week 5

In this week blog, We have been asked to pick two artist/designers who use the similar material in their work but the outcomes are different. From last week post, I did research on how the type works in built space that was broad my eyes to look at some material that unusually use in architecture and interior design.

I have chosen to look at the architecture designed by Shigeru Ban and the installation designed by American studio Cristina Parreño Architecture and MIT. Both of their works use the same material – paper, the method that they develop the paper to built material is similar as well, but the outcome of their work is quite different.

Shigeru Ben: Shelters made from paper

Shigeru Ben is a Japanese architecture who win the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014. Shigeru Ban has designed lots of projects around the world such as   museums, homes and concert halls. But Ban is best known for a more humble kind of work: The temporary structures he's built for refugees and evacuees all over the world. And the material that Ban use is also unique , he may be the only architect in the world who makes buildings out of paper — cardboard paper tubes, to be precise. (Rose, 2016)

For the 1989 World Design Expo in Nagoya, Ban designed a cylindrical Paper Arbor built from a series of tubes mounted on a concrete base and topped by a roof with a compression ring. The tubes were coated with paraffin wax and strengthened with glue. After dismantling the structure the tubes were tested, and to the architect's delight their compressive strength actually increased. Since the construction of the arbor, Ban has realized dozens of structures with paper tubes, many of which can be categorized as long-span structures and his now famous disaster relief projects. (World-architects.com, 2014)

"It's very inexpensive. It's made of recycled paper, we can make any length, any diameter, any thickness.”

                                                                 － Shigeru Ben  (Rose, 2016)

studiointernational, (2007).Alvar Aalto: Through the eyes of Shigeru Ban.

Designboom, (2009). shigeru ban: paper tower.

Shigerubanarchitects, (1995). PAPER LOG HOUSES - Kobe, Japan, 1995. 

In Ben’s work, paper tubes become the main structure material of the building.The strong paper tubes arranged in order become the wall.

Shigerubanarchitects, (1994). MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO GALLERY - Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, 1994 

The paper tube treated the material as vertical elements – columns and walls.

Shigerubanarchitects, (1994). MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO GALLERY - Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, 1994 

Paper Arch MoMA, carried out with Dean Maltz Architect, was a porous cover, and it benefited from this by using cardboard for the lateral arches, not wood like in Hannover. Subsidiary steel wire and plastic ties were the only departure from cardboard, making Ban call this temporary installation "pure paper architecture.” (World-architects.com, 2014)

The architect was not content in limiting the role of paper to exhibitions and, subsequently, furniture. So in the ensuing years Ban extensively tested cardboard tubes – the type used to form concrete columns, oversized versions of what we find in the middle of rolls of toilet paper and paper towels – to determine their feasibility in architectural applications. (World-architects.com, 2014)

Shigerubanarchitects, (1998). CARTA SERIES 1998.

Ben also use this paper material in furniture design

Paper Chandeliers by Cristina Parreño Architecture and MIT

Dezeen, (2013). Paper Chandeliers by Cristina Parreño Architecture and MIT.

An undulating canopy of cardboard tubes by American studio Cristina Parreño Architecture and students from MIT hovered over visitors at the ARCOMadrid art fair in Spain. (Chalcraft, 2013)

The white cardboard tubes were suspended from a wire mesh structure and the cables holding the tubes were cut to different lengths to create the varied topography.(Chalcraft, 2013)

Dezeen, (2013). Paper Chandeliers by Cristina Parred Architecture and MIT. 

The light- dazzling in its subtlety, relies not on expensive materials or complex electronics. Instead, hundreds of cardboard/paper tubes are set at differing depths, creating a fluid, swooping topography reminiscent of softened stalactites. The designers describe the fixture, stating that, ‘The light was extremely simple – it was really the geometry of the surface that created the light effect. (Arch2O.com, 2013)

Comparison  and comment

What  I found interesting about both design works is that they both choose the paper tube as the primary material in their work, and choice in order to create magnificent and functional space. The difference is Ben use it more in architecture, Cristina and MIT focus on to design the interior space.

As an architect, Ben use paper tubes in the structure built, he explored the possibility of paper as the construction material. He aimed to make paper tubes more strength, at the same time he also considered the recyclability of the tubes; The Paper Chandeliers more like an installation inside the building. The designers aimed to change the light intensity by cover it in paper tubes. The translucency of paper tube plays a significant role in this exhibition.

Although the process and result of these two works are different, however, through the way how they negotiate with space, the possibility of paper as a material is apparent to us. It is cheap, easy-made and recycle.With the development of technique,  paper not only limited use in daily life but also in large-scale.

Bibliography:

Buffalo’s NPR News Station, (2014). In The Face Of Disaster, Pritzker Winner Shigeru Ban Designs Solutions. [image] Available at: http://news.wbfo.org/post/face-disaster-pritzker-winner-shigeru-ban-designs-solutions#stream/0 [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

studiointernational, (2007).Alvar Aalto: Through the eyes of Shigeru Ban. [image] Available at: http://www.studiointernational.com/index.php/alvar-aalto-through-the-eyes-of-shigeru-ban [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

Designboom, (2009). shigeru ban: paper tower. [image] Available at: http://www.designboom.com/architecture/shigeru-ban-paper-tower/  [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

Shigerubanarchitects, (1995). PAPER LOG HOUSES - Kobe, Japan, 1995. [image] Available at: http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/works/1995_paper-log-house-kobe/index.html  [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

Shigerubanarchitects, (1994). MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO GALLERY - Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, 1994 [image] Available at: http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/works/1994_mds-gallery/index.html [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

World-Architects, (2014). The Materials of Shigeru Ban. [Image] Available at: http://www.world-architects.com/pages/insight/materials-shigeru-ban [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

Shigerubanarchitects, (1998). CARTA SERIES 1998. [image] Available at: http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/works/1998_carta-series/index.html  [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

Dezeen, (2013). Paper Chandeliers by Cristina Parreño Architecture and MIT. [Image] Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/19/paper-chandeliers-installation-by-cristina-parreno-architecture-mit/ [Accessed 21Nov.2015].

Rose, J. (2014). In The Face Of Disaster, Pritzker Winner Shigeru Ban Designs Solutions. [online] News.wbfo.org. Available at: http://news.wbfo.org/post/face-disaster-pritzker-winner-shigeru-ban-designs-solutions#stream/0 [Accessed 21 Nov. 2015].

World-architects.com, (2014). The Materials of Shigeru Ban. [online] Available at: http://www.world-architects.com/pages/insight/materials-shigeru-ban [Accessed 21 Nov. 2015].

Chalcraft, E. (2013). Paper Chandeliers installation by Cristina Parreño Architecture and MIT. [online] Dezeen. Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/19/paper-chandeliers-installation-by-cristina-parreno-architecture-mit/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2015].

Arch2O.com, (2013). Paper-wave Chandelier | Cristina Parreño Architecture + MIT - Arch2O.com. [online] Available at: http://www.arch2o.com/paper-wave-chandelier-cristina-parreno-architecture-mit/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2015].

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Practice on class: Moodborad

Material Innovation Week 5

This week our lecturer Sioban, who works at the trend forecasting company WGSN, talk about the process behind predicting trends for brands. She introduced lots of information related to her work, such as what is trend forecasting, how does it work and how does this related to material innovation. After that, she leads us to do a practice that is quite inspired and interesting. We are divided into many groups to create a mood board by using random pictures and specific words that describe it. I co-operated with the girl sitting next to me. We decided to find some pictures gripped our attention in first sight, then put it together, then start from one of it.

( the moodborad made by my group )

Both my partner and I  are interested in the pics with lots of straight lines, so we decided to start from “foam”.  We choose three images with line structure and put it in the middle of the bod. From the picture with deep grey wood, we think about the environment and natural, and this kind of material give us a strong feeling of peaceful. From key word “ peaceful ” we put two images represent this feeling on the bottom. On the right side, we were dealing with the colour. We find some objects in a similar colour but made by different material, put it together to make a sense of “ material comparison ”; On the left side, we try to focus on the sharp of the subject. Basically, We made our mood board by following key words and try to keep it in the same hue.

( the moodborad from other group )

After we all had finished our mood board, we presented it separately, and Sioban gave some comments that are really helpful. There are two things she mentioned inspired me a lot.  

- Make flow between the  images She said before you choose pictures, think about what kind of relationship between them, what is the purpose and what do you want to present  after unified  them. The reason why I post this image from my other group is they do made a flow between every images. The idea represent  in a very clear way.

- Do not use lots of similar images Sometimes one images enough to show the ideas works. It is really important in choose the most inspiration one.

As an interior and spatial design student, I have to make some colleague to present my idea as well. This practice helps me in think about how to choose material in my project. I would like to make some mood board to consider the material next time.

Bibliography: 

My March Mood Board. (2015). [image] Available at: http://www.eclectictrends.com/my-march-mood-board/ [Accessed 15 Nov. 2015].

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Type Installation: Type Paris, Numen/For Use

Material innovation Week 4

In this week seminar, we have to present our blog in the class.Everyone have 5mins to talk about the contents of last three weeks in the blog, then Soiban will give some comments about how to research deeper in this material, how to develop ideal in next study. I very enjoyed the time when my classmates present their work. Students attending this lecture are from three different courses, interior design, textile design and graphic design. It is nice to see three modes of thinking in a material. Especially when some students related the knowledge of the material that learned from this lecture to their current project, the presentation  becomes very interesting and vivid.

Palais de Tokyo 

For this week blog post, I find a fabulous exhibition use the normal material in a fantastic way, which completely bring a new think to me for using the material in the progress of interior and space design.

Tape Paris is an interactive and introspective exhibition designed by Numen/For Use studio in Palais de Tokyo. During this exhibition, Lengths of the transparent film and **sticky tape **wrap around the concrete and columns of the gallery to form a network of hollows and tunnels in an installation. Visitors come to travel through this elastic tunnels that suspended precari ously above space, and other guests see their movements from below. The biomorphic skin made by types like a playground for people to climb, relax and discover. (Mairs, 2014)

Numen, (2014). Tape Paris, Palais de Tokyo 

How does material work in space

“ With the further layering of the tape, the figure becomes more and more corporeal as it picks up on the slow increase of the curvature. The  interior of the structure is supple, elastic, and pliable while the form itself is statically perfect, as it ideally follows the trajectories of forces, being literally defined by them. In the moment when the audience enters the installation, what started off as a sculpture seamlessly morphs into architecture.” (Mairs, 2014)

Numen, (2014). Tape Paris, Palais de Tokyo / Inside

Video: 

Vimeo, (2014). COS - Palais de Tokyo.

the video shows how people travel through the type installation 

What I inspired from it:

When I first saw the image of this exhibition, I thought it is absolutely amazing, dreamy and attractive. It looks like a big silkworm cocoon born in space, and it is even not setting on the ground.

I adored the structure form of this installation and when I found out how it was made I adored it more. It was surprised me that type, as a supple, unstable and pliable material that we usually use in our daily life, can be thought as the main material to create a space for people standing, walking and climbing.

As an interior and spatial design student, we often deal with the material that can be used to built up space structure. Considering the material use in built space, wood, cement and steel will first come to my mind. But now, I’m starting to think about try some new stuff. Related to my DRS project, I am planning to make a screen set up in my model. The skin of the screen should be transparent and soft. Also, I want to make the screen structure invisibly. I have tried white cotton, silk and polyester before, this time I am going to use type to make it.

Bibliography

Numen, (2014). Tape Paris, Palais de Tokyo / Inside, 20.10.14.-11.01.15. [image] Available at: http://www.numen.eu/installations/tape/paris/   [Accessed 12 Nov.2015].

Vimeo, (2014). COS - Palais de Tokyo.  [online] Available at: https://vimeo.com/110247439   [Accessed 12 Nov. 2015].

Mairs, J. (2014). Numen/For Use creates "corporeal" installation with sticky tape. [online] Dezeen. Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2014/10/31/numen-for-use-sticky-tape-paris-installation-palais-de-tokyo-cling-film/ [Accessed 12 Nov. 2015].

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Mushroom Mycelium Techniques in Design: Mush-Lume Lighting Collection

Material Innovation Week 3

In this week lecture, we are looking at many products and materials which can be grown and harvested that are changing the way we think about the design process. Follow the lecture we have been introduced lots of new techniques such as Bio Cellulose, Mycelium, guided grow and Algae. Each of these is very interesting and completely expanded my eyes to look at the 21century materials.

In the lecture, I was attracted by the products related mycelium techniques.  

Mycelium is a mass of branched fungus filaments that have good insulation properties and can be manipulated into particular forms. (Imms. S. 2015)

onictinctures, (2015). What is Medicinal Mushroom Mycelium?. 

During the research process about mycelium, Mush-Lume and Mush-Boom collections, which is a series lamp product made by the innovative mushroom material really attracted me.  The designer of those collections is Danielle Trofe, who has been work with natural and recycle material for several years.

Danielletrofe, (2014). Mush-Lume Table Lamp.

The fist picture I post here called  Mush - Lume Table, it is also the first product of her Mush-Lume and Mush -Bloom collection.The aesthetic of this table lamp is a visual representation of the mushroom and the main material of the lampshade made from mushroom. The following picture shows another product named Mush-Lume Hemi Pendant. The main point of this product is about pushing interior lighting to the limits with a 24 diameter dome structure made from the mushroom material. In Danielle Trofe’s design, the Mush-Lume table lamp regards as the jumping pff point in the exploration of incorporating the innovative mushroom material into interior products; Turn to Mush-Lume Hemi Pendant, she start to think about the possibility of this dynamic mushroom material work in product’s size.

Danielletrofe, (2014). Mush-Lume Hemi Pendant.

According to Danielle said, the concept of this collection is starting to thinking differently about the material of the product, and how it can be keep out of landfills. They want to create organic, sustainable and biodegradable interior product. (Danielletrofe, 2014)

Material Detail: Mushroom material treated with white organic milk paint (also available in natural)

Danielletrofe, (2014).

Video

Youtube, (2015). Mush-Lume Lighting Collection.  

In the video that I post here, Danielle explained her design concept and the process of mushroom material growth.

Mushroom Material Growth Process

The Mush-Lume lighting collection is an effort to challenge and change our ideas about what interior objects are made from as well as the process by which they are produced. By tapping into a unique material science such as mushroom mycelium, we can begin to reimagine a more sustainable future within the lighting industry. The Mush-Lume lamps are GROWN, not manufactured, from mushrooms. (Core77, 2015)

The growth process uses agricultural byproducts, like seed husks and corn stalks, and combines them with liquid mushroom mycelium. The mycelium then binds with these components and grows for several days in custom molds. When the growth process is complete, the material is heated and dried, ending the growth cycle. At the end of it’s life, the mushroom material can be broken into smaller pieces, then added to your backyard compost and will fully biodegrade. (Core77, 2015)

My comments of Mush - lame lighting

The most attractive thing for in this collection is the material of the lump. I have to say it is a very good experiment of new technological, and the choose of material is also cater to the trend of 21century Design －natural, environmental, organic and recyclable. Mushroom mycelium material completely can be regarded like come from the ground, return back to the ground. Image how may pieces  of plastic, glass or fabric will be used in interior industry in every year. Some of this material are not recyclable at all. As an interior design student, I am very willing to learn some natural material that use in my further  design project. At the same time, It is necessary to try and develop more techniques in the material industry.

At the end of this blog post, I want to quote some words from DesignAwards.com, which summarise the  achievement of this excellent collection also inspired  me in next study process:

“ The future of design rests on the shoulders of innovation across multi-disciplinary fields. By bringing together advancements in material sciences, with timeless techniques of craft production and new schools of thought involving the life of a product, we are able to reinvent and shift an industry into a new paradigm. The Mush-Lume Lighting Collection inspires a new frontier of lighting products that are grown, not manufactured, from natural, sustainable and biodegradable materials.” (Core77, 2015)

Bibliography:

Tonictinctures, (2015). What is Medicinal Mushroom Mycelium?.  [image] Available at: http://www.tonictinctures.com/blogs/news/35648641-what-is-medicinal-mushroom-mycelium [Accessed 5 Nov.2015]. Danielletrofe, (2014). Mush-Lume Table Lamp. [image] Available at: http://danielletrofe.com/mush-lume/ [Accessed 5 Nov.2015].

Danielletrofe, (2014). Mush-Lume Hemi Pendant. [image] Available at: http://danielletrofe.com/mush-lume-hemi/ [Accessed 5 Nov.2015].

Danielletrofe, (2014). Mush-Lume Table Lamp. [image] Available at: http://danielletrofe.com/mush-lume/  [Accessed 5 Nov.2015].

Youtube, (2015). Mush-Lume Lighting Collection.  [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHNHPKXm3PA [Accessed 5 Nov. 2015].

Imms. S (2015) Material Innovation. [Lecture notes] Expanded Practice. Chelsea College Of Arts and Design College, Block A, RoomA231, 30th,Oct 2015.

Danielletrofe, (2014). Mush-Lume Table Lamp. [online] Available at: http://danielletrofe.com/mush-lume/ [Accessed 5 Nov. 2015].

Core77, (2015). [online] Available at: http://designawards.core77.com/Furniture-Lighting/30307/Mush-Lume-Lighting-Collection [Accessed 5 Nov. 2015].

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A new amazing material: Aerogel

Material Innovation Week 2

In this week lecture,Thomas Thwaites who is an artist graduated from RCA visited us and presented his brilliant  project —‘ The Toaster Project ’.  In this project, he has built a working toaster from scratch, extracting raw materials and processing them himself in an attempt to replicate a mass-produced toaster he bought in a shop for less than £5.00. (Fairs, 2009)

For made this toaster,Thomas traveled around the country to find the rocks and minerals that would be made into metal, and also attempted to make plastic . The video he showed us on the lecture tell the whole story about his ‘ dig material trip’.

I like his works and presentation, not only because his interesting experience in find those kind of common material but also because his attitude in research the history of every materials. He try to use his project and experience lead us to reconsidering all the material around our daily life.

Thomasthwaites, (2009).The Toaster Project. 

Related to the Thomas’s presentation, this week  we have been ask to do deep research about  the material that we choose. I was attracted by a new material called Aerogel.

Azuremagazine, (2013).

What are Aerogels

Aerogels are a unique class of open-pore polymer foams that can be prepared from either organic or inorganic precursors. Aerogels are typically prepared using sol-gel chemistry, starting with liquids that form tiny sol particles, which eventually connect together in chain-like fashion to make a semi-solid gel. When the solvent is removed from the wet gel and replaced by air in a manner that does not collapse the delicate gel structure, a solid aerogel results. What makes the aerogels unique is their nano-sized structure; they consist of particles and pores both of which are smaller than wavelengths of visible light. This unique nano-structure is responsible for many of the unusual acoustic, mechanical, optical and thermal properties observed for aerogels.  (Mkt-intl.com, 2016)

Where is Aerogel comes from 

Aerogel was first created by Samuel Stephens Kistler in 1931, as a result of a bet[citation needed] with Charles Learned over who could replace the liquid in "jellies" with gas without causing shrinkage.

Aerogels are produced by extracting the liquid component of a gel through supercritical drying. This allows the liquid to be slowly dried off without causing the solid matrix in the gel to collapse from capillary action, as would happen with conventional evaporation. The first aerogels were produced from silica gels. Kistler's later work involved aerogels based on alumina, chromia and tin dioxide. Carbon aerogels were first developed in the late 1980s. (Wikipedia, 2015)

Filacart, (2014).

Aerogels – materials with extraordinary properties.

Aerogels have an extremely high nano-porosity and therefore exhibit extraordinary properties: high pore volume (up to 99 %), ultralow density (0.2 – 0.5 g/cm3), high surface area (up to 1200 m2/g). They can be synthesized from inorganic or organic precursors. Currently silica aerogels are the most frequently used and have a wide range of applications. Aerogels are the best known thermal insulators (thermal conductivity < 5 mW/mK) and are almost inert against molten metal.

Aerogels – a material with versatile applications 

fire insulation and sound absorbing material NASA’s STARDUST mission for collecting cosmic dust insulation material for space craft and space suits frequency doubling (AerOptics) additives for moulding materials crucible material for solidification experiments (Artemis) carrier medium for chemical and pharmaceutical substances applications in fuel cells, catalysts and super capacitors      (Voigtmann, 2010)

A Video : Introduction of Aerogels

Youtube, (2014). QUEST Lab: Aerogel - KQED QUEST.

Aerogel Use in Art

When I first saw Aerogel I was high attracted by its  appearance. It looks like sold smoke. As an amazing new material, I was wondering how t can be use in art work. After research fro a while, I find few artist have already try it in their art works, and the outcome is also amazing.

‘A Piece of Sky Between Your Fingers’ Silica Aerogel, vapour, dimensions variable, ©Michalou(di)s 2004.

Visual Artist Michalous utilises the ethereal medium ‘Aerogel’, a material developed for interstellar space technology, to create sculptural works.

“ Looking for clouds I had found Aerogel! Immediately, I thought of creating immaterial, ethereal sculptures with it. I knew nothing about this material and the difficulties of its expensive fabrication, but I was certain that I would have something to do with it. I was so surprised by the appearance of something that you’re not quite sure is there! To believe your eyes, you need your hand and not only to touch, but also to handle, to move around, to press the material...Thus you discover that it is so lightweight and fragile...  ”

“ Silica Aerogel has no definite geometrical form! When you look at a piece of this substance, it’s up to you to decide where to focus your eyes. We can say that the space of Silica Aerogel is a personification of what Henri Poincaré named a "representative space"1, a space that you cannot measure, you just live in with all your senses. This vaporous and fragile substance breaks the conventional boundaries of the euclidean space…The first time you look at sculpture made of this extraordinary material you think that it is not a 3-D object, you think that it is a gas, a projection, a hologram. However, this nebulous mass -that is also an optical, a tactile and a kinetic space- is there, like a memory, like a dream. It’s like all the veils of the bride are there without loosing its mysterious and indefinite character.  ”

                                                                               ––  Iannis Michalous, 2002. (Solgel.com, 2010)

Liliane Lijn:  Stardust  [6]

Lilianelijin, (2008). Stardust. 

Liliane Lizin is another Artist who began working with aerogel during her Space Science Laboratory residency in 2005.

For the first time in history, stardust, particles of comets and burned out stars, has been brought to our planet from beyond Mars.  In a breathtaking metaphor of this revolutionary NASA mission, Lijn’s Heavenly Fragmentsimagine interstellar dust as space-time ruins with the surprising capacity to transform our perceived reality.

Lijn believes that Aerogel confirms the physicist David Bohm’s vision of matter as ‘frozen light’. ‘I felt that Aerogel was a piece of the sky. The way it reacted to light, the impact cones made in it by cosmic dust, its net structure creating a solid that was also empty; I recognized all of these characteristics as part of the language of my work.’

In this work, aerogel was used to collect space dust on missions – a romantic-sounding substance which looks more like regular dust than anything. However, when exhibited in a glass case, scattered over rosin (solid resin) and punctuated with aerogel cones the effect is stunning.  (Liliane Lijn, 2008)

My review of Aerogel: Relate to Interior Design

Like I said at the beginning, the appearance  of aerogel attracted me very much when I first time saw t picture. After did research of it, I know more about its feathers and start to wondering if it can be use in  architecture and interior design.

Aerogel looks like Air but it is strong as steel, and also it is a very good insulator. According to these unique feathers, I am thinking about why not aerogel can be the main material of wall? Just image, if people living in a house with a stable but transparent wall around, it should be amazing. On the other  hand, people also can easy decoration their wall as Michalous did, put some subject inside the aerogel wall, make it look like suspended in space.

It is also reminded me to rethink about my  last year project, which is about building a translucent space in the gallery.

The topic of this project is tea. I was aiming to build a tea house in the gallery where the wall is translucent that some real tea inside the wall. People will see the green tea leaves floating around when  they walk in this space. The material I used is acrylic. I put some tea leaves between  2 acrylic board then stick them together, then make it stand in space.

The outcome of this model is not bad, but now I am wondering some day I can try aerogel in this kind project. As a new material in 21 century, aerogel offered the possibility to every artist and designer to create more amazing works.  

Bibliography:

NASA, (2006). Stardust Aerogel Samples. [image] Available at: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/multimedia/images/2006/stardust-aerogel.html [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Thwaites, T. (2009). The toaster Project. [image] Available at: http://www.thomasthwaites.com/the-toaster-project/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Azbremagazine, (2013). GXN's Rad Scientists. [image] Available at: http://www.azuremagazine.com/article/gxns-rad-scienstists/  [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Fliacart. (2014).10 Futuristic Materials You Should Know About.  [image] Available at: https://filacart.com/blog/10-futuristic-materials-you-should-know-about/  [Accessed 28 Oct. 2016].

Institute of Materials Physics In Space, (2010). [image] Available at: http://www.dlr.de/mp/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4961/11054_read-25264/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Youtube, (2014). QUEST Lab:Aerogel - KQED QUEST. [video] Available at: https://youtu.be/kHnen2nSmDY [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Hellomaterialsblog, (2012). Materials, Art and Science – It’s In The Details. [Image] Available from:  http://hellomaterialsblog.com/2012/12/17/materials-art-and-science-its-in-the-details [Accessed: 28th October 2015]

Lilianelijin, (2008). Stardust. [Image] Available from: http://www.lilianelijn.com/portfolio-item/stardust/  [Accessed: 28th October 2015]

Fairs, M. (2009). The Toaster Project by Thomas Thwaites | Dezeen. [online] Dezeen. Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2009/06/27/the-toaster-project-by-thomas-thwaites/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Mkt-intl.com, (2016). Silica Aerogel. [online] Available at: https://mkt-intl.com/materials/aerogel/silica-aerogel/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Wikipedia, (2015). Aerogel. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Voigtmann, T. (2010). DLR - Institute of Materials Physics in Space - DLR Summer School on Aerogels. [online] Dlr.de. Available at: http://www.dlr.de/mp/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4961/11054_read-25264/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Solgel.com, (2010). The Sol-Gel Gateway. [online] Available at: http://www.solgel.com/articles/dec02/aeroart.asp [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

Liliane Lijn, (2008). Stardust - Liliane Lijn. [online] Available at: http://www.lilianelijn.com/portfolio-item/stardust/ [Accessed 28 Oct. 2015].

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Materials combined in the creative way

Material Innovation Week 1

For the Second year Unit 5 I am attending a series of lectures called ‘ Material Innovation ’. The main aim of these lectures is to give an introduction of lots of materials,  then look at the combinations of many different materials and processes used by  artists and designers in order to produce innovative work.

In the first lecture, we were introduced to many interesting materials such as plaster, fibre class and lots of amazing processes like dip dying, weaving, coating, and 3D print. Some technology were inspired me a lot that I would like to use it in my project some day.

For this week blog post I would like to introduce one of my favourite  textile designer who combined materials in a creative way.

Artist: Ejing Zhang

Ejing Zhang. (2013). Moonrise, 2013. 

Ejing Zhang is a London based textile designer graduated from Royal College Of Arts, who is design and craft the beauty of the mixed material.  While studying at the RCA, she developed a new technique for creating work that involved taking spalted beech wood (partially decayed wood that has a marble-like pattern), wrapping it with coloured thread, and casting it in resin, before sanding and polishing it to reveal its beautiful cross-sections. It was a lengthy, but rewarding, process. (Imms, 2015)

Ejing Zhang. (2013). Moonrise, 2013.

The first time I saw her works was at the exhibition in Beijing, China. The name of the project  is Moonrise which is a series of jewellery design made by hand.I personally like this collection very much, especially the tactile impression of the surface. Because it is made by resin, although its shows cool appearance, the sense of touch is moderate.

When I think of jewellery I always think of words such as luxury, shining and metallic, the material such as steal,silver and gold will comes to my mind. However when I look at the products designed by Ejing Zhang that are made from the wood,thread and resin, which give me the strong feeling of soft, smooth and peaceful.

Sight Unseen. (2015). London Accessories Designer Ejing Zhang.

The combination of different material

Back to see the detail of her works, the most attractive thing from it is How she combines those totally different materials together to create a unique, novel and beauty project. Every single material shows its particular trait in the project. The property of wood is a bit strong and steady.She chooses decayed wood may be not that tough but have the textural surface that presents natural aesthetics；Thread is soft, thick and thin, which became the main factor of color composition in this project. Also, Ejing Zhang creates such delicate texture inside by organized different thread in different ways is excellent and amazing. The material of the case is resin, which is pure and transparent that can perfect appeared inside structure, shape and details made of wood and thread. This combination of material reinvests a unique beauty in her work.

Sight Unseen. (2015). London Accessories Designer Ejing Zhang.

Bibliography:

Ejing Zhang.com (2014). Faux Rocks, 2014. [image] Available at: http://ejingzhang.com/faux-rocks-2014/ [Accessed 21 Oct 2015].

EjingZhang.com (2013). Moonrise, 2013. [image] Available at: http://ejingzhang.com/moonrise-2013/ [Accessed 21 Oct 2015].

Sight Unseen. (2015). London Accessories Designer Ejing Zhang. [image] Available at: http://www.sightunseen.com/2015/07/london-accessories-designer-ejing-zhang/ [Accessed 21 Oct 2015].

Imms, s. (2015). London Accessories Designer Ejing Zhang. [online] sightunseen.com. Available at: http://www.sightunseen.com/2015/07/london-accessories-designer-ejing-zhang/ [Accessed 21 Oct. 2016].