Wetlands
Following a Design Thinking methodology in combination with a variety of more-than-human methodologies, the project managed to make a new and water-resistant material composition with all-natural materials that can be coloured in a regenerative way. Ultimately, this was transformed into a regenerative brand for outdoor jackets.
Market analysis of the rainwear market - B&E
Making First Prototype - T&R
Building on the improved material from my M1.2 project, I created a first prototype using the same techniques (felted wool and PLA).
empathising with the ecosystem - U&S
By noticing non-humans in the landscape and mimicking their activity, I uncovered an important relationship between animals and plants. Seeds stick to fur. Building on this, I came up with the idea to give the material a fur-like surface.
Wearing wool on inside
Wearing wool on outside
Trampled grass
crawling through grass
lying in the grass like large grazers do
2ND PHASE OF designing material - C&A
Improving the material with new bioplast and jude. By felting wool through a cloth of jude, the material becomes stronger and more flexible. By using sodium alginate instead of PLA, the material becomes more flexible and less prone to breakage. Also, by adding coloured water to the sodium alginate, the material can be coloured.
Fur-like surface of the material. Wool is needle felted through a cloth of jude. Next, sodium alginate is applied to the jude. Because the sodium alginate shrinks when it dries out, the wool gets exposed. By applying linseed oil, the material becomes water resistant.
Making 2nd prototype - T&R
creating new shape
testing new shape
Situated expert interview - U&S
The Floating Pennywort are invasive species that needs to be removed. Brambles and willows growing on the banks of the Maas need to be removed to make sure water can flow into the landscape during periods of high water, ensuring the safety of people living behind the dikes
Experiments if it is possible to extract colour from the bramble, willow, and floating pennywort - C&A
Making material with colours from the landscape - C&A
Making Final Prototype - T&R
Scaling up to a regenerative business - B&E
