FLOCK

Description

In Germany, tons of sheep’s wool are discarded because it is too coarse for clothing. FLOCK explores the functional and aesthetic potential of various European sheep wools to create new value. Robotic manufacturing generates soft to firm zones within a single felt—freely programmable in patterns. The developed felting machine and process produce stable three-dimensional felts, resulting in mono-material objects with heterogeneous properties. The direct fiber-to-textile process skips spinning, weaving, and sewing, thus greatly shortening production. It goes beyond the industrial production of synthetic felts by combining digital precision with the flexibility of traditional felting techniques. The targeted control of material properties minimizes complexity, allowing products to align with ecological imperatives. The mono-material stool exemplifies the potential of both material and technology.