Spatial Felted Structure

Designing objects or spaces is to generate an experience for people. Materials which are warm or soft offer people tactile pleasure. We aim to create not only visual but also tactile experience in space via soft materials. 

The project aims to reintroduce the novel role of soft elements into the field of architecture. With the intention to form a methodology where wool is implemented in diverse scenarios, enhancing and enriching the tactile qualities of the architectural space. By exploring advanced felting strategies, we developed a process that allows wool fibres to be embedded into rigid materials using water pressure. The technique enables us to create bonding between materials and produce a composite with numerous qualities.

The project demonstrates a manufacturing process which can connect rigid materials together and create a soft, tactile quality on a large scale. The working area of the waterjet machine used here is 150x150cm, the height of the product is limited by the machine width, but there’s no limit to the length, as horizontally it can be continuously felting with more wool. Utilising water pressure as a means to bind different materials as well as to repurpose discarded materials could be further explored.

• Design for Manufacture projects
• Fifteen homepage