FLOCK
felted wool as a poly-quality mono-material
FLOCK uses the diversity of European sheep breeds and their wool, which is wasted by the tonne due to its coarse fibre structure and thus its lack of suitability for clothing. Robotic fabrication is employed to transform the wool mechanically into load-bearing three-dimensional felts with targeted varying degrees of hardness. It enables precise programming of the properties from firm and sturdy to flexible and soft and their reproduction within a mono-material. In the project, a modifiable felting machine and a three-dimensional felting process were developed. The poly-qualitative properties of wool felt were investigated and transferred into a concept for mono-material upholstered furniture by reinterpreting traditional felting techniques. The resulting upholstered stool visualises the range of material properties and was developed to make research more accessible through design.
Research
INTRO
European sheep’s wool comes in many different colours and fibre structures, offering a wide range of qualities. Today, however, fine Australian merino wool dominates the market, almost completely displacing coarser European wool. This has resulted in the cost of producing European wool exceeding its sales value, making it no longer economically viable for shepherds. Therefore, shearing sheep and disposing generates additional costs, leading to the common practice of burning it. Approximately 90% of European wool is subject to this fate. The problem is not the wool itself, but its (un)use. Through ancient felt making techniques combined with advanced digital fabrication methods, new typologies and fluid transitions between different material qualities can be created within one felt, extending the range of applications.