/ Story: Wuthikorn Sut / Photograph: THINKK Studio /
Taking a closer look at creative industries, we think you will agree that “materials” take priority over any other matter. Hence, a project codenamed “Domestic Alternative Materials” was born to research into the innovation, introduction, and improvement of new products needed for the manufacture of goods and articles. By creating products that are original and unique, it takes design to the next level and helps reduce waste as natural raw materials become scarce and hard to come by.
Domestic Alternative Materials is a nice little collab that turns everyday things into items of higher quality and value. These include empty seashells, crab shells, glass bottles, water hyacinth fibers, coconut husks, coconut shells, betel nut fibers, even fabric scraps from the garment factory.
It’s amazing how a little bit of imagination can give scraps and litters new life. Together, the team transform trash into new products that the industry needs, among them faux metal bars and imitation wood that can be used as alternative materials for furniture making and light fixtures.
Like the wake-up call to a growing menace to the environment, the project causes us to look back at the trail of garbage left behind by commercial and industrial activities.
Hence to reduce waste, it makes perfect sense to transform those otherwise useless objects into alternative materials that can be put to good use again and in more creative ways.
The works of Domestic Alternative Materials are on show as part of a greater event known as Bangkok Design Week 2021. It’s a show designed to create an awareness among the people, architects, designers and consumers about the need to reduce waste and conserve the environent.
Despite disruptions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, it provides the opportunity to appreciate a revolution of the imagination that results in a stunning array of unconventional materials for the creative industries.
Homework offers all-around knowledge about smart fabrics for solutions beyond beautification: Fireproofing, waterproofing, and long-term sun resistance.
Materials used for house décor and furnishings in the modern era need to do more than simply add beauty: they must also be more comfortable, convenient, and easy to use.
This includes fabrics we normally think of as decorative that have been developed to have fire-resistant and waterproof properties and – especially for outdoor furniture – high tolerance for sunlight, rain, and ocean salinity.
Today’s smart fabrics have evolved beyond old limitations to be more beautiful, durable, and adaptable to many new uses.
Fire-resistant fabrics
For the safety of people and property, in the near future fireproofing will be legally required for many types of equipment and materials, including fabrics. Modern production of fire-retardant cloth involves treating the fibers with fireproofing chemicals before color-dying the cloth and weaving it into sheets.
The admixture of these chemicals will not only make the fabric slower to burn but can also add as much as five years to its life. This can help save lives by giving more time to persons escaping a burning building, but also has the simpler advantage that the material can be washed and ironed an unlimited number of times.
This method is superior to earlier, more conventional fire-protection coating, where fabrics stored in either air-conditioned rooms or spaces with a lot of humidity will gradually lose such a coating within 7-8 months, reducing its effectiveness.
Fire-resistant fabrics; 01 Design No. 10216, 02 Design No. 10257, 03 Design No. 10258 / Note: 100% polyester fabrics are material of choice for curtains, throw pillows, and furniture upholstery.
TIP
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 701 is a standard used in the United States of America and approved by international designers.
Waterproof fabric
Waterproof fabric is more appropriate for furniture upholstery or wall covering than for drapes, since they are more likely to experience liquid spills. Upholstery with waterproof qualities has to be strong and have a long-term resistance to water.
For more effectiveness the cloth is woven in a special, loose way, using polyester fibers with gaps between that allow waterproofing chemicals to penetrate, be absorbed in, and fully adhere to them.
Properly waterproofed smart fabric must be able to hold water for at least 35 minutes without any seeping through, and maintenance should be easy: stains should be quickly removable by wiping with a damp cloth, after which the furniture should be as beautiful as before.
Waterproof fabric / Impact Collection; 04 Design No. 1788/07, 05 Design No. 1788/20, 06 Design No. 1788/03; width 57″ (145 cm) / Martindale >25,000 Rubs. / Note: 100% polyester fabrics are material of choice for curtains, throw pillows, and furniture upholstery.
TIP
Homework’s waterproof upholstery fabric has a Martindale value of more than 25,000 rubs, higher than the general standard of 20,000 rubs. great waterproofing, and also extremely durable.
Outdoor fabrics
Acrylic smart fibers have enabled production of new fabrics for outdoor use because they have qualities that ordinary cloth does not: resistance to sea salinity and strong sunlight.
Color is added along with chemicals to produce “dyed acrylic” thread whose color remains fresh, beautiful and lasting for 5 years or more with no significant maintenance required even when subjected to air pollution, sunlight, and sea water.
Collected dust, dirt, and even pen marks can be easily wiped away with a damp cloth.
Outdoor fabrics / Oxford Outdoor Collection; 07 Design No. 1838/03, 08 Design No. 1838/05, 09 Design No. 1838/06; Composition: 100% Solution-dyed Acrylic / Finish: Water Repellent / width 61″ (155 cm) / Martindale >25,000 Rubs. / Note: 100% Solution-dyed Acrylic fabrics are material of choice for throw pillows, and furniture upholstery.
TIP
Smart fabrics designed for outdoor use are generally quite tough, and can feel uncomfortable to the touch. Homework avoids this problem by weaving its fabrics so that fibers are slightly spaced apart, giving the product flexibility and a comfortable feel even with heavy use.
Marketing/Advertising Cookies – used to remember and process the relevance to your website visit in order to personalize contents shown including optimization of commercial advertising placements. For instances, we use this type of cookies to display commercial advertisements related to user’s attributes and interests as well as to limit how many times should a user see repeated advertisement in order to optimize and measure marketing activities. อ่านเพิ่มเติม
