The perception of alternative materials
Description
Alternative materials are in the spotlight. Is this a hype or a trend?
A hype will pass, but a trend should be taken seriously as a signal for further developments in the future. We need to ask why we need alternative materials. There could be three reasons.
- With alternative materials we can realise a more sustainable society
- With alternative materials technology we can realise technical functions that are not possible with traditional techniques.
- With alternative materials technology we can realise experiential functions that are not possible with traditional techniques.
On 21 March, it is mainly about these experiential functions.
With experiential functions, it is not so much important whether materials are alternative. Of particular importance is that they convey a message and/or evoke associations. Wonder is an important aspect of experience and a direct way to evoke wonder is the unusual.
The 'unusual' plays an important role in art and design. It is not 'ordinary' to decorate a Louis 15 chair with imagery from pointillism.
Nor is it 'ordinary' to design a lamp using the material coffee grounds.
Breaking our habits in applying materials in products can lead to new experiences. We will focus on this at the Experience of alternative materials on 21 March.
Sustainability
Often, the development of alternative materials focuses on circularity and limiting the use of fossil resources. This is entirely in line with the thoughts of Thomas Rau who made a presentation on 29 January last at the same venue where this Experience will take place. The earth is a closed system, Rau argues, and we as humanity should therefore limit ourselves to activities that are reversible. Use of fossil resources is not reversible. According to architect Rau, a building should be conceived as a materials bank. A bank in which materials are temporarily 'invested'. The moment the materials no longer yield a 'return', they are invested in another bank or building. Sometimes the new application will be 'unusual'. Thomas Rau, for instance, uses discarded wooden pallets as cladding. An industrial building he designed in Duiven consists of 80% recycled materials.
Admission is 10 euros. This covers expenses and gifts for speakers.
You can pay your contribution at the meeting. You will then also receive an invoice.
Speaker(s)
Jan Siebers
Wim Poelman
Iris van Wijk
Inge Oskam
Rogier ten Kate
Location
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Weesperzijde 190, 1097 DZ Amsterdam
Organiser
Industrial Design
MaterialDesign / Innovative Materials
Name and contact details for information
MaterialDesign at the e-mail address below
Register via
MaterialDesign via e-mail
info@materialdesign.nl