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DATE2014
LOCATIONCambridge, MA
TYPEMaterial Research
PRIMARY INVESTIGATORDavid Costanza
OVERVIEWFibrous Tectonics explores pneumatic structures as the mold for a vacuum-assisted, resin-infused, structural composite part. The composite comprises a corn-based bio resin as the matrix and natural fiber as the reinforcement. The research seeks to address the scalability of composite structures in architecture by re-inventing the ‘mold.’ This approach has involved using inflated bladders rather than traditional molds of milled foam or aluminum to produce composite structures. In doing so, the benefits of inflatables are all-encompassing.
Inflatables not only provide an economical means of transportation and quick setup but also enable the creation of large-scale structures using just air and pressure. This approach greatly reduces both material usage and labor efforts. In contrast, traditional composite manufacturing methods demand the milling of molds from solid aluminum blocks or high-density foam, making them more resource-intensive. Inflatable molds are easily heat seamed and inflated.
When considering issues of scalability, traditional molding techniques demand significantly more labor and material, and with that, there are overarching costs. Inflatable molds, however, require only more air.