In this workshop, participants will be invited to design and make new matrials for a circular economy; plastics made from algae, starch and proteins; composites made from natural fibers, common minerals, and clays.
We are used to thinking about material supply chains as large scale and industrial, and are taught that knowledge about materials is the domain of polymer chemists and professional engineers. But what if anyone, anywhere, could participate in making materials with nothing more than the tools inside their kitchen and the matter on their doorstepfrom?
We will also explore the emerging design space that surrounds these materials, and introduce a materials-driven design approach that harnesses the strength and resilience found in nature to grow nested material systems using life-friendly chemistry and locally abundant nutrients.
Materiom is an international group of artists, designers and engineers. Our mission is to enable everyone, everywhere to participate in the next generation of circular materials by publishing an open source library of materials made from locally abundant ingredients.