The explorations done is a try out to understand the material of textiles and the like, mainly from an interaction design perspective. What is that material? Not only as a highly visual and tactile expressive material that can define a garment or an interior object though patterns, texture, shape, connotations and meanings. Not only as a highly functional material being able to give shelter, for instance, as a tent fabric. Rather, simply as a basic performative material with an agency also in itself. For instance, it seems to be a material that by for instance dividing, through colouring light or by being a surface for sound defines space in a flexible, changeable and relative way. 

In this architectural research exploration, we challenge the notion of an interactive architectural surface as single-layered, two-dimensional interaction interface. Instead, we propose the notion of Interactive Voluminous Substance, which moves the interaction experience into four dimensions, shifting it from far-field, proximity-based interaction to a near-field, tactile one. We present four features of architectural expression that could potentially sustain the embodiment of this Substance: spatial positioning, geometry, expression, hybrid material composition and interaction design. If the future architectural interiors and exteriors are made from Voluminous Architectural Substance, how will it be to dwell with them? We propose two physical prototypes and two interaction stories as speculative objects probing this question.

The Pliant Flesh is a piece built up with a semi-firm body onto which two layers of thinner skins are attached with electronics in between. Pressing hands onto it, it will answer pliantly however with some resistance being experienced as firm but not completely stiff. When touched the piece reacts with small vibrations and lights. The vibrations and lights are then spreading out following their own pattern. 

In the Pliant Flesh the electronics are partially visible pointing out that architecture and the technology of a building could be merged and respond to peoples actions. The piece materializes questions on what it is to experience this hybridity. The black Pliant Flesh is a complementary work to the yellow greenish piece Soft Body.

The bowels of the piece are soft with encapsulated electronics that are enclosed by a silicon skin. When pressing hands onto it the hands sink into the body. From deep within there is a respond to the pressure of the hands, slow gentle vibrations of the inner building up interaction patterns that define the tangibility. 

In the Soft Body the electronics are hidden and not clearly located. This fact together with the sense of a highly responsive and fluid material brings the Soft Body far away from what we are used to encounter within architecture of today. The piece materializes questions on what it is to experience highly tactile architecture with material and interaction inner substance and corporal connotation.  

Artistic research in design is relatively new compared to experimental research in the natural sciences but it has matured a great deal over the last decade. Its extensive development has brought new challenges to professional practice, and also raised questions regarding how knowledge should be imparted in academia. By examining the field of textile design, which has traditionally been taught in close synergy with professional practice, we can discern the emergence of doctoral theses that have brought not only new perspectives to textile practice but also a new role to the design educator as a researcher within the academia. One of the challenges that design education program are facing, however, relates to creating a better connection between research and education in order to continually enrich curricula with new developments in the field, so that basic knowledge and novelty can interact. By looking closely at the development of the research environment at The Swedish School of Textiles and the interaction with undergraduate and postgraduate education, this chapter describes how research has informed the development of textile design education.

When used within textile printing, smart colours have expanded the design possibilities for textile patterns as relates to both motifs and, more importantly, uses. Smart colours suggest new functionalities and provide specific perceptions, reactions, and activities in terms of usage. At the same time, the need for peripheral information sources that are less intrusive than many of the everyday devices of the present has continuously been addressed to improve wellbeing, e.g. by making life more manageable and meaningful through the use of technology in everyday life. We aim to increase knowledge of the design qualities of smart colours, which is of use in relation to creating non- or less intrusive ways of displaying peripheral information. This paper focuses on the character of colour transition and discusses different colour-changing possibilities with regard to surface patterns; that is, from the perspectives of different levels of change and complexity and in relation to levels of intrusiveness and information comprehensibility.