My experience at Material Connexion was very educational and inspiring. I was able to expand my knowledge about a vast amount of materials all used for design purposes, and it was insightful to learn about different materials that I didn’t even know existed. The material that peaked my interest the most was a denim solid surface created using denim fabric scraps, resin, and Baltic Birch plywood. The recycled denim fibers are a mix of fibers that vary in size, thickness, color, and texture. The fibers are intertwined randomly instead of weaved which gives the material strength. I was very inspired by this expressive method to unify the threads into one textile surface. I feel as though it gives it great movement and it really inspired me to be more playful and lose when creating my chair piece instead of trying to control the material constantly.
Hexacomb Cushion comb
Hexacomb (Division of Boise)
I personally found this material extremely versatile and creative due to the fact that it was made with custom packaging using 100% recyclable paper and glue. The material is lightweight, flexible, durable, thick and recyclable. If I could use this material for my chair project it would definitely be at the top of my materials list, because I really want to create an abstract organic form for my chair and I need a flexible and versatile material. This material inspired me to consider if I can create my chair using a mixture of cardboard types such as corrugated cardboard, chipboard, E-core board, honey-comb cardboard, and maybe even thick paper Mache.
ReWall EssentialBoard
This material consists of rigid boards made from different kinds of waste beverage cartons that are used to create the layers of the board. The downside is that it’s challenging to recycle this kind of material, which cause the boards to be expensive and difficult to obtain. What I find most fascinating about this board material is the kind of specific material that it’s recycled from, but also that it’s flexible, durable, can be molded and has an interesting aesthetic. I’m really interested in using recycled materials for my project and I feel as though this material could provide me with more inspiration about the kind of aesthetic that I want my material to have.
