Clampology is a family of informal objects designed to increase functionality of interior spaces. Manufactured by London-based designer Jorre van Ast of plastic and spring steel, the collection of adaptive utensils for the domestic environment include a bookend accompanied by a “book finger," a book display, a hook and a rail that clamp onto the side of horizontal surfaces, a hook to clamp onto electrical pipes, a candle holder, and a cable manager that can be clamped onto a table leg. [Contact:
Jorre van Ast, London, UK.]
Labels: 12, intelligent, plastic, support
Lauren Moriarty's Noodle Block Cubes represent intriguing experiments in digitally fabricated three-dimensional cellular structures that may be compressed and return to their original form. Moriarty designs the pieces in a digital environment, and they are then laser cut and hand finished. The cubes may be used as decorative seats, cushions, sculpture, or playthings. [Contact:
Lauren Moriarty, London, UK.]
Labels: 12, multidimensional, rubber
The value of paper is typically measured by the value of the information it carries; once the information is deemed useless, the paper is discarded. Robert Buss of PUSH> reuses paper in the service of a longer-lasting function: furniture.
Disposable Office takes the most common material of workplace communication and transforms it into the workplace itself. Disposable Office furniture is comprised of recycled paper, with the addition of glass and felt. Individual items are named after various paper functions, such as the Security Documents Chair, Menu Table, or Bank Statements Shelving. According to Buss, Disposable Office is "furniture made from information for the information age." [Contact:
PUSH>, Osnabrück, Germany.]
Labels: 12, furniture, paper, recycled, repurposed
Dow Corning's Active Protection System is a "smart" textile that remains soft and flexible until it is struck by high-impact force, in which case the material instantly stiffens to help protect against injury. When the collision has passed, the material immediately becomes flexible again.
The active ingredient in the fabric is a dilatant silicone coating, which is a shear thickening fluid (STF). The viscosity of this coating increases with the rate of shear, therefore defining it as a smart material as it responds to changes within its environment.
The Active Protection System is breathable and flexible for outstanding comfort and freedom of movement, and it can be stitched directly into garments, eliminating the need to insert and remove components. It is less bulky than hard armor, allowing for many creative and fashionable design possibilities. The washable fabric can be layered to provide customized levels of protection for specific areas, and it integrates easily into existing manufacturing processes.
Independent testing shows that the Active Protection System exceeds certain European Standards' impact protection requirements for sports apparel by as much as 40 percent. The fabric’s superior effectiveness is due to its ability to both absorb and distribute impact force, providing protection that is activated earlier and lasts more than twice as long as rigid protective systems. [Contact:
Dow Corning, Midland, MI.]
Labels: 12, fabric, material, transformational
Voiceprints is an experiment in the translation of audio information to visual imagery. Artist Pierre Proske records a person's voice into a microphone, analyzes the audio file for frequency content, loops the sample, and then generates a variety of textile patterns arranged according to the individual's vocal frequency imprint.
The basic acoustic unit in human speech is called a phoneme. The visual equivalent is called a "viseme," a basic speech unit in the visual domain. Interested in the audio to visual translation, Proske developed software that describes sound using basic visual units to represent recorded frequencies.
Proske reminds us that the use of computing in textile design is nothing new. Woven textiles actually form part of computing history, through Joseph Marie Jacquard's automated patterned textile weaving machine in 1804 which led to the use of punch cards in computing devices. [via Pierre Proske; suggested by Clayton Whitman, Seattle.]
Labels: 12, audio, fabric, interfacial, translation
Paper softseating is made entirely from kraft paper, utilizing a flexible honeycomb structure to fan open into stools, benches and loungers. Each of the sizes and types of softseating can compress like a big book for storage. The seating is available in natural, unbleached brown kraft paper and kraft paper that has been dyed a deep black with bamboo charcoal ink to emphasize the geometric pattern of light and shadow. Paper softseating can be used creatively and interchangeably as seating or low tables, and the elements can be stacked playfully as building blocks.
Paper softseating is not intended to be disposable or thought of for short-term use. According to the manufacturer, the paper actually improves with age, as the surface texture of the paper edges softens with use over time into a pleasing natural patina. When one sits on the paper stools or loungers, the edges of the paper will gently soften and crush, creating irregular facets that catch the light and form a unique organic pattern within the crisp honeycomb geometry of the structure. As the surface of the paper softens, the stools and loungers maintain their structural integrity, because the honeycomb geometry lends the paper strength and enables this economy of material resources. Paper softseating is flame-retardant treated and 100% recyclable. [via Molo; suggested by Tom McCollum, Oakland, CA.]
A video demonstration of paper softseating may be viewed here:
http://www.glumbert.com/media/foldingchairLabels: 12, furniture, multidimensional, paper
Alog is a modular shelving system made from MDF and ash which features a wall-mounted modular block and easily detachable shelves that require no fittings. The nature of the design allows for various combinations and compositions of shelves, allowing the user to create his/her own customized system. Developed by Johannes Herbertsson & Karl Henrik Rennstam, the design has strong roots in the language of graphic design and functions as both shelving and a visual wall display. Alog is 648 x 648 x 200 mm in size, and the shelving provides a playful solution to storage requirements with simplicity of use built in. [via Vujj; suggested by Clayton Whitman, Seattle.]
Labels: 12, intelligent, shelving, wood
Clampology is a family of informal objects designed to increase functionality of interior spaces. Manufactured by London-based designer Jorre van Ast of plastic and spring steel, the collection of adaptive utensils for the domestic environment include a bookend accompanied by a “book finger," a book display, a hook and a rail that clamp onto the side of horizontal surfaces, a hook to clamp onto electrical pipes, a candle holder, and a cable manager that can be clamped onto a table leg. [Contact: Jorre van Ast, London, UK.]
