The design of woven and knitted structures can be compared with the formation of buildings’ facades and constructions. However, textile designers do not generally participate when the exterior structure and facades of a building take shape, but rather when textiles and materials for the indoor environment are chosen, often with the intention of enhancing the acoustic qualities of spaces. In this research project, two architects and a textile designer collaborate, the latter focusing particularly on sound design. Incorporating textile designers in the early stages of building projects can lead to benefits of exploring and improving sound landscapes in outdoor environments. 

In order to search for and develop new approaches, methods and techniques in the field described as textile architecture, textile facade modules were designed and produced, and the design process was examined and evaluated from the points of departure of the two design fields. Questions such as ‘who is actually prototyping?’ arose, as well as the search for finding common references and concepts, both historical and contemporary, to strengthen the collaborative work. 

A practice-based experimental approach was important for the project and the merger of the two design fields, not least to put different textile techniques and materials to the test to examine how they can affect the sound landscape and experiences of space. The key activities in the laboratory work were technique, method, perception, stage-setting and context, which connected both to textile design and architecture. The different textile materials were chosen to comply with the requirements of external climate impact and rough outdoor environments. In groups of demarcated design experiments, the textile techniques of weaving and hand tufting were explored, and the modules were tested acoustically. 

This paper presents experiences from a two-day teaching workshop where first year students in architecture meet with first year students in textile design for an assignment on building structures with textile, soil and plants designing for indoor gardening with the aim of inspiring for more sustainable lifestyles. The background is a research project on textile architecture with the objective of exploring this new field and to establish a platform for long-term collaboration between the disciplines of architecture and textile design. The paper addresses pedagogical challenges in the meeting between first-years students of different disciplines and traditions, but also in the meeting between research and undergraduate teaching. The students produced creative results but had difficulties in exploring the full complexity of the task. An evaluative discussion is based on observations, photo documentation, notes during group discussions, follow-up questionnaires among the students and reflections among involved researchers.

Syftet med denna undersökning är att undersöka om korta moment inspirerade av problembaserat lärande under uppstarten av en längre kurs på högskolenivå kan förbättra förutsättningarna för lärande, inom det naturvetenskapliga ämnet och designämnet. För att undersöka frågeställningen genomfördes en enkätundersökning med studenter på Textilingenjörsprogrammet och Textildesignprogrammet på Textilhögskolan i Borås. Textilingenjörerna hade under inledningen av en längre kurs i Polymerteknologi ett introduktionsmoment där studenterna fick en konsumentprodukt tilldelad. Under inledningen av designprojekt hade studenterna på Textildesignprogrammet workshops där de arbetade individuellt eller i grupp. Uppgiften handlade om att utveckla en lösning för skyddad sömn vid en utsatt nödsituation eller att konstruera vävbindningar med hjälp av sin kropp. Enkätundersökningen visade att de flesta som deltagit i introduktionsmomentet av textil-ingenjörerna tyckte att det kändes stimulerande att gruppen själv styrde projektets genomförande vilket inte riktigt alla på textildesignprogrammet höll med om. Här hade man velat ha mer handledning under workshopen. Textilingenjörsstudenterna uppgav i enkäten att introduktionsmomentet hade avgörande betydelse för intresset av hela kursen medan textildesignstudenterna uppgav att introduktionsmomentet inte var lika avgörande för intresset under den fortsatta kursen. Slutligen visade enkätundersökningen att textilingenjörerna i högre grad ville se mer av studentcentrerat lärande utan lärarstyrning.

The thesis aims at developing conceptual and methodological tools in order to adapt sound in a “designerly” way within the discipline textile design. Occupational groups working with sound are to a large extent problem driven. This implies knowledge regarding sound and sound design mostly focuses on defensive strategies, not creative possibilities. The ambition with this research project is to make suggestions how textile designers can work practically with textile sound design, in a more nuanced way. /br As a starting point the thesis describes commonly used methods and processes used in the design process within an industrial context, followed by a more thorough analyze of the textile design process. These studies constitute a foundation to make it possible to see in what way these methods and processes will be affected when sound is added as new design tool./br By studies of two sound design models, the first attempts to develop a vocabulary concerning how to describe sound affecting qualities or sound expression of a textile are presented. Research focusing on language issues, especially on the development of conceptual tools done at the research institute Cresson, provides descriptive concepts, “sound effects”, embracing the interaction between human and his sound environment. These concepts are followed by a model of how to describe a “sound object” in “itself” (not in relation to anything else), developed by Pierre Schaeffer./br The theoretical models have been applied on the outcome of an phenomenological study named Describe. A number of design examples are finally presented as methodological examples of different ways to work with textiles and sound./br Keywords: sound, design, textile design, sound effect, sound object.

Part of workshop with Barbara Lane (Canada) in Borås 18 feb 2008 with weaving and LED lights

Paper "Textile microphone elements" and oral presentation at the conference on the 23 of June 2008.

Part of the exhibition Body and Space, Riga Latvia February 14- March 4 2008. Oral presentation concerning my research February 15 2008.