Projects

Research into colour and design strategies for end-of-life textiles

Why?
The textile industry faces major challenges that have a negative impact on the environment and people. Currently, due to issues with quality, technology, irregularities and aesthetics, only around 1% of textiles are recycled within a closed-loop system.

What?
Recycled fibres have inherent properties, including colour and material composition, which make it difficult to achieve a uniform colour. ‘Colours of Recycling’ explores the colour potential of recycled fibres, their aesthetic properties, sustainable applications and associated design processes.

How?
The colour study highlights the unique characteristics of the materials and the design possibilities. Sorting strategies for used textiles are developed, and colour mixtures are examined at the fibre, yarn and surface levels. These studies provide the basis
for a bespoke colour process in textile design.

For whom?
The “Colors of Recycling” prototypes are aimed at textile designers, demonstrating the potential of recycled materials, promoting the sustainable use of colours and raising consumer awareness of the diverse aesthetic possibilities of recycled fibres.

Impact:
The project promotes the recycling of multi-coloured ‘textile waste’. By avoiding bleaching and dyeing processes, valuable resources are conserved. The unique nature of the material is deliberately taken into account in design decisions and is appreciated by both designers and consumers.

Stimulating the senses through sustainable, tactile wooden interfaces

Why?
Simon transforms sustainable wood into an expressive medium to create a deeper sensory and emotional connection with everyday objects. His work invites us to reconnect intuitively with nature, our surroundings and ourselves.

What?
The handcrafted surfaces respond gracefully to touch, breath and movement. His innovative prototypes combine natural haptics with digital expression, blending sustainable innovation with emotional design through sound, light, vibration and scent.

How?
Wood is transformed into a conductive surface using IC-LIG, a bio-based innovation from ETH Zurich. This natural texture and sensory responsiveness engage users, putting them in a state of flow and creating a multi-sensory experience through touch, breath and movement.

For whom?
Although these prototypes are tailored to music therapists, interior designers and curators, they represent a broader vision: the reinterpretation of design as an organic, human expression rooted in our connection to ourselves and the natural world.

Impact:
This work redefines our relationship with technology and transforms wood into intuitive, living interfaces that awaken our senses. It is driving a shift towards biodegradable electronics, where design not only benefits the planet but also strengthens communities and rekindles our connection with nature.

Understanding complex systems through objective data and subjective experiences.

Why?
The sense of smell influences our experiences and memories, yet lacks a unified categorisation system, which hinders interdisciplinary progress. Gaia offers a speculative scientific project that combines personal experiences with quantitative data and provides an alternative framework for analysing heterogeneous data.

What?
This research explores a potential methodology for integrating chemical data with human perceptual experiences through artificial intelligence and coding. The study investigates how a hybrid system could capture the scientific properties of molecules and the emotional, cultural and sensory responses they trigger.

How?
The tool combines qualitative and objective data. By processing documented scent information alongside chemical databases, the system generates multidimensional analyses that are simplified into visual coordinates. The resulting analysis could reveal relationships that might be overlooked by traditional methods.

Who is it for?
Although this tool uses smells as a case study, it can be applied across various fields of research. The processing of heterogeneous data combines subjective experiences with objective measurements, thereby enabling novel interdisciplinary approaches ranging from healthcare to cultural studies.

Impact:
This approach transforms sensory experiences into scientific insights and fosters collaboration between quantitative scientists and researchers who study human experiences. This collaboration helps to overcome barriers between the measurable and the experienced, and extends beyond the sense of smell.

Handwritten letters as an act of resistance

Why?
This project is a response to a world shaped by speed, the attention economy and data-driven systems. It encourages us to reflect on how we spend our time, who benefits from our attention, and how we can reclaim space for presence, care and more human forms of connection.

What?
The revival of handwritten correspondence as an alternative to digital overload. Inspired by the Slow Food movement, it promotes thoughtful, human communication that prioritises the process over efficiency, making letter-writing an accessible, social and creative habit.

How?
The project organises social events, provides monthly inspiration and fosters a community centred on letter-writing, making handwritten correspondence feel fresh, creative and relevant in today’s context.

Who is it for?
This initiative is aimed at people seeking privacy and deeper connections, as well as those wishing to escape digital overload. It serves communities building alternative spaces for communication, postal services seeking to find new relevance, and policymakers addressing digital sovereignty and the need for non-extractive communication systems.

Impact:
The project helps people reclaim their time and recover from digital noise. It creates space for reflection, connection and writing without pressure. By reducing resource consumption and promoting meaningful exchange, it supports well-being and inspires positive change in society and the environment.

New frontiers in healthcare with data-driven color design and material experimentation

In a White Room with Piranhas explores the challenges of color decisions in healthcare buildings, focusing on overcoming resistance to change. The project introduces innovative approaches to healthcare design by balancing creativity with scientific insights.

The work delves deeply into color and material, using data-driven strategies and participatory methods to create immersive spatial experiences, such as evoking misty mountain landscapes. Through a blend of theory and practical application, it showcases skills in spatial modeling, textile printing, color systems, digital visualization, and collaboration with industry.

This research aims to inspire new designs for healthcare environments and assist industrial partners in refining their products to meet evolving needs of the health sector.

A design vision to reduce, repurpose, and manage textile waste in the Sun Blind Industry

"WeaveWise" addresses textile waste in Swiss solar blind production by recognizing the lost material value in current waste practices. The aim is to improve waste management, promote sustainability, and enhance value creation.

The project repurposes discarded materials to minimize waste and maximize resource use, providing a comprehensive solution to the textile waste challenge.

"WeaveWise" helps companies adopt sustainable practices to repurpose waste through slow production into alternative applications. This initiative supports Swiss industries seeking to enhance efficiency and environmental responsibility by offering sustainable interventions and repurposing services.

The potential of wear and tear: A speculative approach to textiles

The relationship between humans and textiles is deeply connected to culture and personal stories, with signs of use offering the potential for emotional connections and inclusive sustainability.

An immersive exhibition explores shifting attitudes towards textiles through two objects: one representing the desire for newness, the other reflecting the emotional value of a well-worn item. These woven pieces encapsulate material explorations, observations, and conversations, sparking dialogue about mass production and the fleeting nature of consumer goods.

The aim is to extend product lifespans by fostering emotional bonds. By valuing the shared experiences and stories woven into textiles, we can appreciate their wear and narrative potential.

What does a design intervention to destigmatize discussions about death look like?

Death, dying, and grief are universal experiences often stigmatized in everyday conversations, leaving many unprepared. This initiative aims to reduce the stigma surrounding discussions about death, encouraging young adults to engage with the topic early on and creating interventions to facilitate these conversations.

The outcome is a digital platform linked to physical touchpoints in semi-public spaces related to death. Users can create and exchange tasks related to death, take on tasks from others, and track their progress through the platform.  The platform’s dashboard evolves as tasks are completed, fostering interaction and reflection.

The project, "Destigmatizing Death," is designed for young adults who have limited exposure to death but are interested in exploring the topic and lack resources to do so.

A regional network of ecological and regionally sourced textiles.

The textile industry faces challenges such as lengthy production routes, resource-intensive supply, and the need for more transparency. There is a demand for new solutions to procure woven fabrics locally. Small entrepreneurs struggle to collaborate with the industry due to large orders placed by industrial producers.
The project "NERI" connects the end-user with the fiber source through regional fiber systems, extending from seed to woven fabrics. Utilizing local resources like regenerative materials and textile production minimizes environmental impact and ensures control over the entire supply chain.
By linking the process of woven textiles – raw fiber, manufacturer, industrial production, and customer – the project explores the potential of a local, shortest possible supply chain. Based on the principle of shared production, smaller orders are aggregated until they reach the industry's minimum order quantities.
"NERI" caters to fashion designers, dressmakers, and private customers seeking certified, sustainably produced woven yard goods for garments from regional resources. It enhances resilience by opening a new market for local weaving mills.

Long-lasting and individual clothing created from post-industrial waste

Developing sustainable outputs relies on degrowth and altered lifestyle choices. Consumers can significantly impact production methods by selecting environmentally friendly products and practicing sustainable use. A revamped view on sustainability and upcycling can encourage such habits and support lasting attachments to textiles.
Working with post-industrial textile waste, Jornot utilizes Zero-waste and upcycling strategies to connect industrial manufacturing with traditional tailoring. Unique varieties are achieved by integrating the diversity of fabric waste into a refined new process.
Alternative values are transferred into the fabric design through adapting specific cultural aesthetics. Selected inserts reflect personality and individuality, appeal to alternative consumer groups, foster lasting attachment, and reevaluate our behaviour towards textiles.
“RaaaR” is for those seeking daring and expressive clothing that reflects individual emotional values and evolve with the wearer. Manufactured in Switzerland, the upcycled and zero-waste garments support local businesses and contribute to the sustainable handling of resources.

Design strategies, recycling concepts and material research for circular mattresses

Why are up to 1 million mattresses disposed of in Switzerland every year and none of them are recycled? The vision of ECOMADE is to initiate a paradigm shift towards a sustainable and circular mattress industry. In view of the fact that 90% of the ecological footprint of mattresses is linked to the materials used, the focus has therefore been on the aspects of materials, recycling and design. Exploratory material and process developments were carried out in collaboration with the industry. This resulted in practical strategies for Swiss mattress manufacturers on how they can become more sustainable and customer-friendly through product design.

With the support of: Mattress Alliance Switzerland, Roviva Roth & Cie and Ikea Foundation Switzerland.

How can the value of used building components be maintained or even increased in order to render attractive reuse in architecture?

Building components principally lose their value after use which leads them to being scrapped, incinerated or landfilled. The roof tile, being very low priced, represents the major challenges of reuse: Despite its excellent properties it is not worth being reutilized due to additional financial,
logistical and legal risks. This master’s thesis explores strategies for adding value to used building components through a case study with roof tiles and seeks opportunities for their scalability in architecture.

A call for playful-explorative learning

In a future-oriented labour market, collaborations replace rigid forms of hierarchy. Social competence and self-organisation are gaining in importance. Preparing children for the demands of society is part of the educational mandate of schools, but school is often still dominated by externally guided static learning. In view of social transformation processes, however, there is a need for process-oriented forms of learning that children can actively participate in. 

Selma & Mogli therefore stands for «motivating playful-explorative learning and integrating interactive design in a fun way». It opens up creative spaces and combines subject-specific and interdisciplinary competences. A co-creative concept development including documentation and a short film provide insight into the exemplary pilot project.

The Regenerative Education Network is a teachers' network that legitimises and promotes teaching with and in nature.

The network creates space for collaboration and exchange on the topic of teaching outdoors. With monthly and analogue meetings, information and opportunities are with the help of organisations and experts made available. Sharing practical experience and knowledge supports teachers to teach regularly with with students in and with nature. Regeneration means an improved quality of life life for all involved, including nature. The goal is a critically thinking, self-efficient and sensitised generation of pupils who recognise the value of the natural environment and act accordingly. The revolution of regenerative education begins with networking!

Visual training for creative muscles

Constant doubt about one's creative work, the fear of white paper, and the impression of having to compete with others working in design. Working too slowly, not enough and the feeling of not getting anywhere. These different aspects influence the way visual designers work unpleasantly. Self-doubt paralyzes one's own artistic work, which can develop into creative blockades. I intervene in this situation with a system of solution strategies and visual training. The result is illustrated solutions in the form of a blog, a social media presence and a digital workout that can help creative individuals in their creative work.

Design-driven experiments with machine, material and spatial effect.

Since industrialization, the question of microstructures and rhythms on the facade - of reduction or complexity - has been repeatedly discussed. With this in mind, the practical master's thesis "Clinker Play" explores process- and material-based strategies, and inquires how industrially produced microstructures can be laid out to create complexity and variation appealing to human perception. A modified clay cutter was used to simulate the strand-pressing process commonly used for clinker. Specific interventions were used to experimentally refine the materialization in a multi-layered manner.

Textile Space Projects

SOFTSPACE deals with the spatial and atmospheric use of textiles in architecture. The project mediates and communicates between people and space. The textile objects exert an atmospheric influence on the space allowing an interactive use and extending previous applications. Thus, new possibilities for the use and application of textiles in architecture are outlined.