Digital Hybridisation in Adaptive Textiles for Public Space

Abstract

Over recent years, many architectural and urban surfaces interact with the environment like a changing skin, adaptable to environmental stimuli. The textile technology appears to be the most suitable to meet the requirement of adaptability to the environment because it can produce changes in shape and colour. Today, this is a possible thanks to textile systems and fibres that are increasingly hi-tech and smart. To make these adaptable systems is a fundamental role in digital technologies and is an important a multidisciplinary approach in every design phase. This article interweaves some of the developments and applications of textiles in urban space design, exploring the possible applications of emerging technology in architectural and urban design. This analysis aims to explore the intersection between the culture, design and technology of textile systems, as well as the role of parametric design and embedded systems in urban space design and transformation. The aim of this article is to spread knowledge on adaptable textile systems as materials for architecture and to do so through practice-based design research. The study frames the contemporary design explorations, in which digital design tools and material expression are major placeholders, with a focus on surface shapes and design experiments exploring the expressiveness of light, colour and movement as design materials. The article reflects on the role of digital design applied to textile systems for urban space as a possible tool aiming at enhancing existing space by surface prototyping.