Materials design
Surfaces, finishes and materials for architecture and design developed as autonomous research. The material is the object of the project, not its coating.
Method
We start from the material itself: how it reacts to light, how it changes with use, how it ages. Defining the behaviour of a material comes before assigning it to a product or a space.
Materials design phases
1. Brief, positioning and research
analysis of the design brief, the application sector and the performance requirements of the material or surface. Review of the available raw materials, transformation processes and treatments compatible with the intended use. Analysis of the existing catalogue, commercial positioning and production-line constraints.
2. Material concept
definition of the visual and tactile identity of the material through exploratory sampling, texture tests and chromatic pairings. Verification of the surface’s aesthetic register, its behaviour under natural and artificial light and its coherence with the intended application context.
3. Experimentation and sampling
production of full-scale physical samples for the verification of visual performance, tactile quality, behaviour over time and compatibility with the destination substrates. Evaluation of each sample under real environmental conditions, with correction and reproduction until approval of the final version.
4. Engineering
preparation of the technical production specifications with material sheets, process parameters, colour and texture tolerances, performance requirements and quality-control procedures. Verification, with the production departments, of the industrial reproducibility of the approved sample.
5. Production supervision
verification of the conformity of production batches with the approved reference sample. Control of chromatic consistency, texture uniformity, surface resistance and long-term stability until approval of the final material.
Scope of work
Ceramic surfaces
textures, graphics and finishes for tiles, slabs and ceramic cladding, with definition of formats, laying modules and chromatic variations within the series.
Stone and agglomerate surfaces
finishes, treatments and processes for natural stone, composite quartz and cementitious agglomerate surfaces, with attention to aesthetic performance and mechanical properties.
Wood and derivatives
species, treatments, colourings and finishes for flooring, cladding and panelling in solid timber, multilayer wood or derivative materials.
Resins and microcements
formulations, textures and chromatic palettes for continuous surfaces in resin, microcement and decorative cementitious materials, with specifications for thickness, substrate preparation and wear resistance.
Technical textiles and coverings
textiles for upholstery, wall coverings and drapery with specifications for composition, weight, abrasion resistance and fire reaction.
Metals and metallic finishes
surface treatments, oxidations, satin finishes, coatings and patinas for metallic components and surfaces, with specifications for corrosion resistance and chromatic stability.
Glass and transparent surfaces
finishes, colourings, sandblasting, screen printing and treatments for glass sheets and components, with specifications for light transmission and mechanical resistance.
Experimental materials
research into unconventional materials, biomaterials, composites and reprocessed production waste, with experimentation on physical properties, aesthetic performance and application potential.
Vision
After a few years a bespoke surface and one chosen from a catalogue no longer resemble each other. The ageing is different, the response to light is different, the behaviour during installation is different. That difference is why we develop materials.
