V

Bringing tradi*onal materials into a futuris*c context the V stool represents the fusion of natural, tradi*onal materials with advanced material innova*on. Inspired by futuris*c and abstract forms V u*lizes contemporary design coupled with a natural woven material sourced from the ax bres found within the stems of the Linum Usita*ssimum plant. Flax bers have been in use since prehistoric *mes however processing developments in the 21st century have allowed the poten*al of the ax ber to be explored and realized. Advanced bre reinforced composites materials are a fairly recent material development, they are used in products ranging from transporta*on vehicles to sports equipment however, natural composite materials now provide a realis*c alterna*ve; in V, Biotex, a woven fabric made from ax bre and developed by Composite Evolu*on, has been used, elimina*ng the tradi*onal connota*ons associated with the use of natural materials in design and making way for a new glossy, sleek aesthe*c represen*ng a futuris*c lifestyle. V is lightweight, robust and versa*le a stackable stool ideal for the use in both interior and exterior environments. Marketed for use in high quality social environments such as busy inner city bars, restaurants, and cafes where space may be limited. V is lightweight due to the innova*ve infusion of ax bres and resin layers that are hand layered to form a strong and robust composite product. As a par*cularly futuris*c looking product ,V features a high gloss shine, weather resistant surface nish that contrasts with the interior ax composi*on.

As one of the oldest natural bres, the use of ax bre can be dated back to the stone age and was extensively cul*vated in ancient Egypt in the produc*on of linen. The ax bre is more commonly associated with the produc*on of linen however due t o m o d e r n t e c h n o l o g i c a l developments, ax bre is developing for use with modern bre reinforced composite produc*on. V is produced using the woven f a b r i c B i o t e x F l a x , a reinforcement tex*le based on natural ax bre designed for b r e - r e i n f o r c e d p o l y m e r composite applica*ons. The fabrics can be used with a wide variety of resins in processes including wet lay-up, vacuum infusion, resin transfer moulding ( R T M ) , p r e s s m o u l d i n g , pultrusion, prepregging etc. Biotex natural reinforcements and intermediates provide the high performance and easy processing normally associated with glass bre composites but w i t h l o w e r w e i g h t a n d environmental impact. Biotex u s e s a u n i q u e T w i s t l e s s Technology to ensure a high degree of bre alignment, impregna*on and performance. The use of ax bres in the produc*on of modern composite produc*on addresses the needs of current living and thus increasing the awareness of the i m p a c t a n d u s e o f t h e environments natural resources.

Experimenta*on work with the use of natural ax bre has produced the drive and incen*ve to explore the possibili*es of this par*cular material with the input and infusion o f m o d e r n m a n u f a c t u r i n g technologies. Taking this natural material, V represents, in a somewhat contras*ng design aesthe*c, a product that will intrigue and interact with its users. How can something natural look so futuris*c? It looks like a woven bre, but feels smooth and glossy? Inspired by the infusion of nature and industry in order to produce innova*ve furniture solu*ons that are not only func*onal but are beau*ful, has produced the produc*on of V, to produce a design statement. V, a stackable stool is made from using a combina*on of synesthe*c and natural bre materials that are, by hand, layered into a mould with the applica*on of resin. Once the material layers have hardened the product is ready to be removed from the mould to produce the nal p r o d u c t .