«Smart Flexibility»
Advanced Materials and Technologies

An international overview of I+D projects about flexible and active materials

Can a system achieve intelligence by combining the con­trol of a flexible structure with the properties of an active material? The answer is Yes, and you will discover it at the “Smart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies” exhibition, with 28 projects developed by universities and firms from 10 different countries (USA, Germany, Denmark, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, China, Australia and Spain).

The “Smart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies” exhibition seeks to explore the current capabilities provided by certain structures and materials to raise awareness and adapt architecture to its environment.

Can a system achieve intelligence by combining the con­trol of a flexible structure with the properties of an active material? 

From this perspective the exhibition is situated on the borderline between matter and structure, investigating the flexibility and intrinsic reactivity of specific materials and advanced technologies. In order to do so, this event should not only bring together architects, designers and construction engineers but also creators from other sectors (sports, fashion, automotive, etc.), whose projects and products are focused on smart flexibility.

These contemporary works and projects involving materials, sensitive systems and articulated supports enable us to imagine the functionalities an intelligent and flexible architecture may provide.

The harvesting of wind and solar power, electrical and thermal energy generation, perception and adaptation to climatic conditions, to acoustics and lighting environment, user detection and modification of the space through their body, their movements or even their emotions, are the challenges of tomorrow’s spaces and are thus the guidelines of the exhibition.

Curators

Valérie Bergeron, Architect, director of Materfad’s materials library
Javier Peña, PhD in Chemical Science, scientific director of Materfad

Travel operator

Materfad (Barcelona, Spain)

Type of exhibition

Advanced materials, Advanced technologies, Smart materials, Active materials

Featured projects

Pictures

Exhibition details

Past locations

Design for Impact Festival
From July 23rd 2015 to August 9th 2015
At RMIT Design Hub
Building 100, Corner Victoria and Swanston Streets Carlton
VIC 3000. Australia

FADFest / Barcelona Design Festival
From June 25th 2014 to February 27th 2015
At Disseny Hub Barcelona
Pl. de les Glòries Catalanes, 37-38
08018 Barcelona (Spain)

Availability

September 2015 onwards

Touring exhibition content

• 28 contemporary works and projects associated with materials, sensitive systems and articulated mediums.
• 100+ flexible and/or active material samples classified according to characteristics (woven, articulate, foam, photochromic,photoluminiscent, shape memory form…). Includes unit number, formats and codes to identify every sample and manufacturer.
• 15 videos
• Graphic digital information: exhibition presentation and credits banner,  individual banners with description and credits of each project. All material is in Catalan, Spanish and English.

Approx. weight 400 Kg (including special crates for air transport).

Space requirement

150-200 sqm.

Loan duration

2 months maximum (between departure from origin and departure to next venue or origin). Conditions for longer loan upon request.

Associated events

On occasion of the opening of the “Smart Flexibility Exhibition”, one of the main features of the yearly major design event in Barcelona, called the FADFest, Materfad invited 3 project authors to hold a “MaterLab” on June 25th 2014, a workshop on Active Flexibility. Presentations by Areti Markopoulou (IAAC, Barcelona), Manuel Kretzer (ETH – Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule – Zürich) and Phil Ayres (CITA, Copenhague).

The organization of such an associated event as a workshop can also be studied upon request, independently or related to the exhibition.

Catalogue

Available at smartflexibility.materfad.com.
Conditions for co-publishing formulas in any language might be explored.
Exhibition guide on CloudGuide app.

More info about us

Materfad, Barcelona materials centre

Contact

Valérie Bergeron, Materials library manager, Materfad Barcelona
vbergeron@fad.cat

Clipping

Smart Flexibility at Design for Impact Festival (RMIT Design Hub, Melbourne, Australia)

	Smart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies exhibition to Australia for the first time. Organised as part of RMIT’s inaugural Design for Impact Festival, Smart Flexibility will present international projects on advanced materials and technologies, developed by universities and firms from 10 different countries.
Source: www.dia.org.au/index.cfm?news=3065

	RMIT Master of Architecture students show major projects at Design Hub Students from the RMIT’s Master of Architecture degree will exhibit their design projects until July 3.
Source: www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/rmit-master-of-architecture-students-show-major-projects-at-design-hub-20150625-ghx7nv.html

	RMIT exhibition showcases advanced building materials from Materfad, Barcelona | Architecture And Design RMIT’s Design Research Institute is bringing an international touring exhibition on advanced materials from Materfad, Barcelona’s materials centre to the Design Hub.
Source: www.architectureanddesign.com.au/news/rmit-s-design-research-institute-brings-internatio

	Is Design more than just better products? | Australian Manufacturing RMIT will hold its inaugural Design for Impact Festival from Thursday 23 July to Sunday 9 August at the University’s City and Brunswick campuses and various
Source: www.australianmanufacturing.com.au/30388/is-design-more-than-just-better-products

	Smart Flexibility: Advanced Materials and Technologies | ArchitectureAU An exhibition that explores new structures and materials that adapt architecture to its environment.
Source: architectureau.com/calendar/exhibitions/smart-flexibility-advanced-materials-and-technologies/

 

Smart Flexibility at FADfest (Disseny Hub Barcelona, Spain)

	Barcelona volverá a ser la capital mundial del diseño gracias al FADfest Barcelona, 25 jun (EFE).- Un cincuentena de actividades, entre ellas exposiciones, premios, debates y congresos, conforman el programa del FADFest, que se
Source: www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20140625/54411293626/barcelona-volvera-a-ser-la-capital-mundial-del-diseno-gracias-al-fadfest.html

	FADfest: objectes de ciència-ficció que estan a punt d’entrar a les cases La quarta edició del festival del FAD presenta al gran públic ‘El millor disseny de l’any’
Source: www.ara.cat/premium/cultura/FADfest-objectes-ciencia-ficcio-dentrar-cases_0_1166283388.html

	Barcelona, un festival de diseño | Cataluña | EL PAÍS Dos exposiciones, cine y congresos conforman el FADfest, que espera superar las 52.000 visitas, una cita que invita a subir fotos a Internet de objetos mal realizados
Source: ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2014/06/25/catalunya/1403727120_788891.html

 

	Exposición Smart Flexibility, estructuras y materiales adaptables en Disseny Hub | Bcn Cool Hunter | Bcn Cool Hunter Estructuras y materiales adaptables tanto al usuario como al entorno es el eje conceptual sobre el que gira la exposición Smart Flexibility que se puede vi
Source: bcncoolhunter.com/2014/09/exposicion-smart-flexibility-disseny-hub-barcelona/

	Tecnología para llevar puesta, Telediario – RTVE.es A la Carta Tecnología para llevar puesta, Telediario online, completo y gratis en A la Carta. Todos los informativos online de Telediario en RTVE.es A la Carta
Source: www.rtve.es/alacarta/videos/telediario/tecnologia-para-llevar-puesta/2823646/

Barcelona volverá a ser la capital mundial del diseño gracias al FADfest | www.diariovasco.com Barcelona, 25 jun (EFE).- Un cincuentena de actividades, entre ellas exposiciones, premios, debates y congresos, conforman el programa del FADFest, que se celebrar� en el Museo del…

Source: www.diariovasco.com/agencias/201406/25/barcelona-volvera-capital-mundial-128913.html

	Wasted youth with you: FADfest is BACK!
Source: wastedyouthwithyou.blogspot.com.es/2014/06/fadfest-is-back.html

	El mejor diseño está en el FADfest: hoy se inaugura el ‘Festival of All Design’. – Paperblog Hoy arranca de nuevo el Festival de Todo el Diseño, el gran evento organizado por el FAD (Fomento de las Artes y del Diseño) en el marco del Barcelona Design Festival.
Source: es.paperblog.com/el-mejor-diseno-esta-en-el-fadfest-hoy-se-inaugura-el-festival-of-all-design-2678275/

	Smart Flexibility – Materfad « Institute for Computational Design (ICD)
Source: icd.uni-stuttgart.de/?p=11267

	Diffus » ‘Smart Flexibility’ in Barcelona
Source: www.diffus.dk/smart-flexibility-in-barcelona/

Topic: Exhibition: Smart Flexibility « materiability research network

Source: materiability.com/topic/exhibition-smart-flexibility/

	Exposición Smart Flexibility, estructuras y materiales adaptables en Disseny Hub | Bcn Cool Hunter | Bcn Cool Hunter Estructuras y materiales adaptables tanto al usuario como al entorno es el eje conceptual sobre el que gira la exposición Smart Flexibility que se puede vi
Source: bcncoolhunter.com/2014/09/exposicion-smart-flexibility-disseny-hub-barcelona/

	Engineering students at the Smart Flexibility exhibition | ELISAVA The «STEP-LUX» and «Persiana de control solar» projects, developed by Engineering in Industrial Design students, take part in the Smart Flexibility exhibition, which will be in the FAD until the 16 November.
Source: www.elisava.net/en/center/actual/agenda/engineering-students-smart-flexibility-exhibition