faBrick

The faBrick project focused on the development of a composite material using felt and resin that can be stitched together to create tubular furniture and architecture made entirely from fabric. The project involved calculating the precise ratio of resin mixtures that can be added to felt without weighing down the fabric. After the material is stitched and shaped, the resin hardens and sets to create a self-supporting object. Different composite scan be created with a single piece of material, creating varying levels of rigidity. The shape of each piece of furniture is created by cutting out sections from a flat piece of the material using a laser cutter. The fabric is then moulded into pipe-like structures that support the weight of the object as the resin sets. This particular technique of creating tubes and seams gives fabric the initial structure to hold its form by itself. The chair design is created using the same machine process ,cutting the felt and letting the fabric stand on its own after which the composite is hardened. As the sole material used in design, the fabric itself becomes the legs, seat and backrest. Fabric in architecture and furniture has existed since the very beginning, but inventing a composite that makes the fabric the main material is unique. Seamless designs are rare due to material size restrictions but like the wall, made of many components, it can create larger spaces with no visual seams. In parallel, a digital technique was developed showing the stitching of the fabric on a computer, establishing a feedback loop between digitally conceived and physically executed design. The faBrick project was exhibited at The Bartlett School of Architecture's 2015 B-Pro show in London,which ran from 29 September to 10 October.