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Material Library



Project Description


The material library was developed during a research internship in collaboration with an MFA student whose began with questions of how sculpture practice could be more sustainable by investigating alternatives to studio materials, including plastic. Since sustainable solutions are often local, this  internship was an opportunity to examine the materials in our immediate surroundings. In the case of Halifax (Canada), seaweed is one of the many local materials worth investigating. The objective of the research internship was to develop a material palette that could contribute to the long-term material research on alternatives for petroleum-based plastics. 

In the midst of the Covid pandemic, we looked to DIY and homemade recipes, such as the ones shared by the Materiom Organization - an online library of sustainable materials and processes. Ingredients such as oyster shells, seaweed, sawdust, wood ash, etc. that can be safely manipulated and studied in a home-studio environment, are a few examples of the material explorations contained in this material library.

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COLLABORATIVE DESIGN FOR UNSTRUCTURED PLAY


SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant



DESCRIPTION

This SSHRC-funded project brings together the following collaborators: Undergraduate and Graduate Design students at NSCAD University; Undergraduate and Graduate students in Chemical Engineering at Dalhousie University along with Early Childhood Educators, Pre-Primary and Grade Two students from Halifax Grammar School; Lake City Woodworkers, a Halifax-based social enterprise that support individuals with mental health challenges.

Recognizing the environmental harm of plastic, the potential opportunities in bioplastics and the creativity of children, the goal of this project is to use a collaborative design methodology to marry materials research, novel fabrication technologies, and design innovation to produce a toy prototype. The goal of this project is to design and fabricate children’s toys through a collaborative design process between NSCAD University Design Students and Early Childhood Educators at Halifax Grammar School.
RESEARCH TEAM

Angela Henderson, designer
(NSCAD University)

Aaron Outhwaite, engineer
(Dalhousie University)

Marie-Soleil Provençal, artist
(NSCAD University)


COLLABORATORS

Grade 2 Students from Halifax Grammar School Lake City Wood Workers