Final Project: Material Archive
Caption, Image credit, Year
##What?
A proposal for an online accessible open-source material archive with DIY recipes for renewable and biocompostable (or recycled) materials for designers. It is based on the knowledge collected and created in and around the Fabricademy network, and builds upon the (physical) Material Archive at Textile Lab Waag that was realised by Cecilia Raspanti, Maria Viftrup and others in 2016-2017.
A selection of 25 biofabricated materials is already documented and forms a suggested "starter archive" for anyone who would like to build their own physical archive with samples. Building the basic archive will teach you the foundational techniques that most other recipes will build upon, and require you to collect the basic tools and ingredients you will need.
I analysed at a number of online and offline archives, such as Materiom (link), Materiability (link), The Institute of Making at UCL London), Material Archive Textile Lab Amsterdam (link), Material District (link) for how they....
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##Why?
Biofabricating can be further demystified
Some archives tend to mystify the process of biofabricating (using expert terminology, not explaining in detail how to actually do something). Getting very scientific or very technical about it without explaining hands-on knowledge in laymen's terms.
Biofabrication can be further clarifying (but not simplified!)
alternatively, archives and resources tend to oversimplify the process (a three step summary of a process where many more intricated details matter. Knowing how to cook a bioplastic is easy, knowing how to dry it well is much less documented.
Material Archives can and should take an open-source DIY approach (Do-It-Yourself)
Many archives will show you what's out there (to buy), but don't give the concrete info you need to biofabricate yourself even though you can often try out these things in your kitchen and most recipes are in the commons and can be used by anyone.
Do-It-Together
When recipes and how-to's are shared (e.g. Material Archive, Materiability etc.) there is often no way to disagree on recipes. What is there is there and cannot be improved or responded to by others.
Context-aware approach (exit the candy shop)
A lot of
Tactile / sound demo often lacking but very necessary
The tactile dimension that is so important part of a physical archive is lacking in most online ones to help people understand the kind of material they can make with a given recipe
Other arguments:
- sustainability
- nuance: no perfect material but let's collect information
- not mystifying
- but also not simplifying
- technique is half the work
- thorough documentation and referencing highlighted
- thorough and feedback system by committed peers
- local specificity
- cultural/historical perspective incl contestations
- including technical and sensory specifics
- tactile / sound demo often lacking but very necessary
##Who?
Designers, material crafters, students, educators, researchers, hobbyists.
The recipes in the archive are accessible to anyone with a device that has a browser and an internet connection.
Anyone dedicated to biofabricating materials and some experience in at least one of the processes can submit a recipe manually. If the recipe is thoroughly researched, the person can join as a contributor and get a log-in account.
##How?
- Prototype/mock-up for an online platform to host a digital material archive
- Offer selection of 25 recipes for biofabrication for a material archive starter that teach you the foundational techniques
- A physical material archive for my university's lab :)
- Future: get funding to build it (working on that)
##What we can look at so far! (23 March)
- mock-up of online platform
- 25 documented material samples (example here)
- videos of material samples
- pictures of material samples (example here)
###Archive starter
| Nr | Title | Price | Image | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biofoam | €0,50 |  |
Recipe |
| 2 | Extra Flexible Foil | €0,78 |  |
Recipe |
| 3 | Bioresin | €2,56 |  |
Recipe |
| 4 | Biosilicone | €1,68 |  |
Recipe |
| 5 | Starch rubber | €2,26 |  |
Recipe |
| 6 | Biolinoleum | €0,78 |  |
Recipe |
| 7 | Egg shell powder | €0,00 | Recipe | |
| 8 | Alginate net | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 9 | Alum crystal silk | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 10 | Borax crystals | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 11 | Kombucha paper | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 12 | Overripe mango leather | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 13 | Agar foil | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 14 | Agar composite | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 15 | Alginate foil | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 16 | Recycled PLA scraps | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 17 | Alginate string | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 18 | Alginate coated yarn | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 19 | Tanned fish skin | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 20 | Madder dye | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 21 | Copper oxide | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 22 | Red cabbage dye | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 23 | Coffee waste dye | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 24 | Bacterial dye on silk | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 25 | Flower paper | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 26 | Avocado stone dye | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 27 | Yellow onion skin dye | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 28 | Beetroot dye | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 29 | Hibiscus dye | €0,00 |  |
Recipe |
| 30 | PH modifiers | €0,00 | Recipe |
##References
##Process
##Future steps
Research
- sensory description system
- technical qualities
- raw vs. made
- physical form
- organic vs. inorganic
- criteria
Definitions
- Abundance-aware (local physical archive only from locally abundant materials)
- Circular
- Plant-based/vegan if possible
- Cruelty free
- Non-toxic
- Contested
- Biobased, biodegradable, biocompostable
- Open-source (we know how it's made)
Decisions
- color comes from somewhere too: no added colors
- until we know how synthetic food coloring is made, no food coloring
- color is a material
- stuff that is grown in a controlled environment is also "made"
- physical selection should show variation in physical forms, and show the main ingredient types we know to use to biofabricate.
- physical selection is made in such a way to also demonstrate a variety in textures and sensory qualities
- recipes should include pointers for drying/curing
- recycling or upcycling also has a place in the archive
- we don't use food unless it's considered waste (e.g. onion skins, egg shells, overripe mangos from the market). So no fresh berries for dye.
Local archive
- Every new entry is a variation on an existing one
- A variation can only entail one change at a time (don't change both the additive and the curing process).
- Reason for the variation is stated (e.g. local tap water is too alkaline so we use mineral water, wanted a more flexible biosilicon).
- Shows relationships between the samples (network)?
Local recipe should include
- ingredients
- utensils
- process
- drying tips/tricks
- pros and cons/concerns/contestations/question marks
- potential health hazards
- estimated cost and vendors
- technical qualities (e.g. water/heat/light proof?)
Digital archive
- Includes all information except hyperlocal info
- A new entry is made when the recipe is changed to the extent that the qualities of the material change and the sensory descriptions do not match the resulting material anymore.
- The criterium of being locally abundant does not apply here.
- Entries should state where an ingredient is grown/sourced.
- Entries should state how long it takes for an ingredient to renew itself.
- Entries should state the cultural and/or intellectual history of the material (including references or further reading)
- Entries should describe the sensory qualities of any material (because this is lost in digitization)
- Entries contain a video/gif for sound and haptic info