Articles
More than hot air
The world of design is increasingly interested in lightweight materials. They’re efficient, usually cheaper by weight than traditional alternatives, and they lend themselves well to light, strong and even temporary structures and designs. Lightweight materials ...
Read more >Why paper architecture is winning
Shigeru Ban has won the 2014 Pritzker Prize for architecture. We congratulate him for it, as it’s well-deserved. In his work, Ban keeps an open mind to the aesthetic application of material, rather than merely ...
Read more >The future, rethought: Shanghai 2014
Team Materia had a busy week with two shows and a conference, all in Shanghai. The shows informed and inspired architecture professionals about the possibilities of innovative materials and new technologies. This is of particular ...
Read more >Catenary Pottery Printer
It can be refreshing to see people approach well-known topics from an unusual angle. A Chilean office has developed what they call a catenary pottery printer. It’s an analogue 3D printing machine that uses traditional ...
Read more >The seat that shines
Creativity isn’t always about a huge idea. It can also be about combining existing ideas in a new way. Two relatively simple ideas, such as a wooden chair and luminous paint, for instance. Swedish designers ...
Read more >Nature is a design tool
There is a beetle that can detect fire from 80 km away. That’s 10,000 times further than current fire detection systems. Spider web silk is stronger than aramid fibres. These use lots of energy and ...
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