Reimagining Materiality: Multisensory Experience through Regenerative Material Design
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Authors
Noun, Saphearith
Supervisor
Joseph, Frances
McCabe, Micheal
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Publisher
Auckland University of Technology
Abstract
We must reconsider our relationship with materials. For too long, we have
been extracting material from the earth and disposing of them in ways that
damage our planet. However, there is a growing movement to find more
sustainable and regenerative ways of making and using materials. This
thesis explores materiality through an investigation of the sensory qualities
of regenerative materials made from local waste and plant materials.
Through extensive experimentation, a wide range of samples have been
generated. These suggest future possibilities for deeper material
connection, adaptable objects and environments. The research also
addresses the challenges and opportunities of using regenerative materials
in design.
The thesis develops novel design strategies for creating more sustainable,
sensory, and embodied design experiences through materials. It draws on
insights from philosophy, anthropology, and design studies to investigate
how a multisensory approach to materiality can generate more sustainable
and meaningful designs. Such regenerative materials are produced, used,
and disposed of in ways that support and restore life. They are made from
renewable resources and can be used, composted or recycled at the end of
their life. While the samples and artefacts produced are speculative rather
than functional, they contribute to a shift towards responsible materials
with a focus on bio-loops, lifecycles and a deeper connection with the life
world through our senses.
This thesis proposes that a multisensory approach to design through
regenerative materials is critical to the creation of a more sustainable
future. By engaging with material aesthetics, we can gain a deeper
understanding of how we affect and are affected by the world. We can
develop material strategies that support and restore life.