The MoA Design Research Studio on »Growth« was a continuation of the »Scaling Nature« series introduced in Summer 2019. In this context, the core idea of the studio was to investigate matter as an active agent in the design process. This means that it has its own innate capacity of formation and performance, that is being designed from the bottom up. Scaling nature can be understood as the process of extracting principles from naturally occurring systems and taking them as inspiration for specific applications – during this process scaling operations necessarily are one key aspect of this translation. The results of the MoA Design Research Studio on »Growth« were on internal display at the weißensee school of art and design berlin from September 22nd to October 14th, 2020. more

The MoA Design Research Studio »Designing Matter 1« investigated designed filaments and fabrics as architectural material systems. »Designing Matter« denotes the definition of the form and the materiality for the component elements of a material in order to achieve a specific functionality. This process allows to utilize and enhance the inherent properties of a given material and ultimately to generate novel ones. Codes – either analog or digital – are used to implement the design of the material by means of a systematization of this form-function interrelationship. In this context the MoA Design Research Studio made contributions with respect to the development of designed filaments and the close adherence of the architectural designed fabrics to the production sequences and patterns observed in silk-cocoons. Take a look at the projects! more

»Minimal Machines« was an MoA Design Research Studio Project investigating the development of machines for non-augmented and augmented spinning on an architectural scale. The machines were to be used as devices in conjunction with a designed material. Given that one of the core paradigms of designing matter is the abolition of machines in favor of matter’s own inner activity, these machines were to be minimal. This could imply tools that are designed to perform the bare minimum required in the assembly of a designed material. Still, it could also mean that matter is designed to become operational—or machinic—itself.  more

The MoA Design Research Studio »Scaling Fiber: Experimental Yarn« explored the upscaling of fiber into yarns as structural elements for the architectural scale and context. It was carried out as a transdisciplinary exchange between architecture, textile technology, materials science and cultural studies aiming at new concepts for sustainable design technologies. more

On Tuesday, February 15th 2022, 10 a.m.–5.30 p.m., the contributors of the MoA Design Research Studio »Designing Matter 2« presented their results during a one-day final online review. »Designing Matter 2«, supervised by MoA members Karola Dierichs, Felix Rasehorn, Mareike Stoll, Mason Dean, Michaela Eder, Charlett Wenig, Binru Yang and John Nyakatura, investigated tessellated surfaces as material systems for textile architecture and product design.  more

This year, weißensee school of art and design berlin finally opened its studios for the traditional open house after two years of digital presentations only due to the pandemic. On July 9th and 10th, 12–20 pm, there was be the opportunity to learn more about the students’ projects and works developed during the last year, many of them in cooperation with or in classes led by members of the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«. more

On 5 July 2022 the final review of the MoA Design Research Studio »Minimal Machines 2 – Hygroscopic Hemp« took place at at weißensee school of art and design berlin. The MoA Design Research Studio »Minimal Machines 2« investigated functional applications for the shape-change of hemp-rope under variant ambient humidity conditions. more

The MoA Design Research Studio »Designing Matter 2« investigated tessellated surfaces as material systems for textile architecture and product design. A tessellated surface is composed of individual units—tiles—which are connected by a joining material—such as tissue. Designing the materiality and the geometry of these individual units and their joints allows to calibrate the functionality of the overall tessellation. more

The MoA Design Research Studio »Minimal Machines 2« investigated functional applications for the shape-change of hemp-rope under variant ambient humidity conditions. Hemp is a biogenic plant-based material. It displays hygrophilic behaviour meaning that it absorbs water from the environment and consequently changes shape. more