Designing Matter 1 -- From Filament to Fabric -- Spunbonds as Architectural Material Systems

The MoA Design Research Studio »Designing Matter 1« investigates spunbonds as architectural material systems. Designing matter denotes the definition of the form and the materiality of the component elements in a material in order achieve a specific functionality. This process allows to utilize and enhance the inherent properties of a given material and ultimately to generate novel ones. Codes – either analogue or digital – are used to implement the design of the material by means of a systematization of its form-function interrelationship.
A spunbond is a non-woven fabric, in which a continuous filament is laid on top of itself in different patterns. Designing matter in such a system thus encompasses the individual filament as well as the spinning patterns.
Precedents on an architectural scale include the ICD/ITKE Research Pavilion 2014-15 realized at the University of Stuttgart as well as the Silk Pavilions I and II by the Mediated Matter Group from MIT. In this context the MoA Design Research Studio will make a novel contribution with respect to the development of designed filaments and with respect to the close adherence of the architectural designed fabrics to the patterns and production sequences observed in the silk-cocoon role-models.
The MoA Design Research Studio »Designing Matter 1« is structured in 4 phases that all build up towards the final studio project which is completed in phase 5. These are accompanied by an overarching one – phase X – on writing, documenting and archiving. In phase 1 silk-cocoons, which are spunbonds occurring in nature, are introduced from the perspective of anthropology, biology and materials science. Phase 2 and 3 will focus on the design of filaments and spinning patterns which are suited for architecture-scale material systems. In phase 4 the notion of an architectural material system will be introduced and participants will develop design principles for a spatial installation based on the designed material they developed in the previous phases. In the fifth and final phase participants will integrate the design research developed in the previous ones into a coherent thesis argument. This will be supported by the overarching phase X on writing, documenting and archiving.
Participants of the MoA Design Research Studio »Designing Matter 1« have the opportunity to take part in the related MoA Research Prototype in the summer term as an elective in-depth course.