“Through disruptive Innovation, we see the creation of an architectural, material product which incorporates a component of passive solar design and is high in thermal mass. The intention was to reach a new audience whilst disrupting an existing market in the hope of displacing an earlier technology”

Inspired by the remains of St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross. The project aimed to create sustainable architectural forms through the considered use, combination and structural application of textiles, concrete, and glass. An interdisciplinary approach across the textile, architecture and glass departments within Edinburgh College of Art and Edinburgh University pushed beyond the boundaries of the textile design discipline. The material thinking focused on and aimed to instigate a dialogue between the soft textile material and the hard concrete structure to promote the creation of an innovative material surface.

This result was the creation of dyed, silk screen printed and laser cut velvet encased within a coloured, textured surface concrete tile. The core elements of the composite material product are colour, pattern and texture. The considered choice of materials and focused attention on the material application aimed to promote an environmentally sustainable approach to energy resources. The innovative use of a material which incorporates insulating properties and sound insulation is also high in thermal mass which actively encourages reduced energy consumption. Thereby, contributing toward a more sustainable future.