Workshop | Reimagining Composites

Purva Chawla, co-founder of MaterialDriven, spent a Tuesday morning at the Materials Lab to discuss the relevance of composite materials in today’s context. Composite materials hold a special position in the built environment, due to their high performance and potential to address the need for alternative material sources. Chawla's presentation introduced a range of new composite materials, including products such as BLOOM Algae Foam, AIR-INK, and theBreath.

Following Chawla’s discussion, Carolyn Gawlik from 3form discussed the company's Full Circle Empowerment Program, which is a collaboration with local artisans from all over the world. This program has resulted in a series of handcrafted interlayers, made by artisans in countries like Nepal and Senegal. Both presentations were followed by a workshop activity, in which students selected a handcrafted interlayer of choice, along with a translucent color layer, to design their own resin bowl. The students’ designs were produced by 3form.