ECO-MATERIAL DESIGN: NEW MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT FROM NON-CONVENTIONAL RAW MATERIALS

Traditionally, material development has mainly been undertaken from a technical-functional point of view, while leaving some emotional issues aside, in the background. On the other hand, globalization and environmental effects have made it critical to introduce some necessary alternatives that take eco-design issues able to decrease environmental impact into consideration.

This current research work has consisted on material experimental development, based on the argument of using non-conventional raw materials in the composition as such materials, in addition to using natural-sourced, waste and low cost raw material generated in the specific region. By doing so, new configurations that may enrich outcomes from the visual point of view are to be sought, while saving and valuing such raw material formal features. Likewise, recycling has to be assumed not as an erasing homogenization, but showing the source of that material to be used by highlighting the existence of such raw material, and also making reference and recalling about its origin. Various visual readings that make it possible to have an emotional interaction with the material have to be generated.

The experience experimental scope is mainly based on the attempt of finding some compatibilities among raw materials that had not been previously undertaken in the material development field and, in turn, to set up relationships among these compatibilities and the various adhesives that have been chosen for a given experiment. On the other hand, the non-conventional feature was given through a new application of the raw material (with respect to the mixture that was prepared or to the new application context); through the understanding of an existing material as raw material, conveying it to the material area, and by reusing the waste material. Such work or activity ended with a selection of those finest pieces regarding visual quality and bodily or physical result, and further results analysis carried out just from this point of view, which became useful to state and record compatibilities among mixtures and the use of non-conventional raw materials. We have to stand out that this project was born from the evidences and conclusions reached at the Material Design Workshop conducted at Universidad del Bío-Bío School of Industrial Design. Thus, this article shall provide some comments about the methodology that was applied for eco-material development, while showing its outcomes and implications at the productive and educational level.