Tessellated Material Systems

by: Felix Rasehorn

Collaborative Research Project within the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity«
Group: Mason Dean, John Nyakatura, Binru Yang, Nikolai Rosenthal and Felix Rasehorn

This research discusses convergent material behavior of Tessellated Systems to extract underlying principles in nature. As an interdisciplinary group we investigate a variety of Biological Systems that convergently expresses Tessellation. Our shared question is: How Function derives from Form? We developed a four-step workflow of Selection, Digitalization, Modelling and Simulating. Each step is performed by one discipline, either starting with selecting a specific biological system, or with modelling hypothetical Tessellation and Simulating with 3D printing. While the prototyping approach is informed by biological samples it also helps to classify, and categorize biological systems. The goal from Design perspective is to develop tools that make Tessellation accessible and applicable across disciplines to prototype material behavior for sustainable product scenarios.

Felix Rasehorn is a practice-based PhD candidate at »Matters of Activity«. He holds a Master’s degree in Interaction Design from weissensee academy of art and design. In 2019 he co-founded WINT a Design and Research Lab to sustainably advance future products and materials. In his doctoral studies Felix researches on materiality and function from an interaction point of view, exchanging with biologists and medicine.

wintdesignlab.de

Workflow (graphic by Felix Rasehorn)
Modelling (screen capture from Grasshopper)
Simulating (animation of bi-stable properties of artificially generated Tessellation Pattern)