In the face of mounting environmental challenges, millions of units of polyurethane waste are generated every year, yet only about 10% is successfully recovered. Traditional inflatable products—such as toys and cushions—exemplify this unsustainable cycle by embodying fixed forms that restrict their functionality and lifespan. This stark disparity between abundant waste and limited material recovery underscores the urgent need for innovative strategies that reconceptualize material utility and extend product lifecycles.
My research is centered on repurposing recycled thermoplastic urethane (TPU) membranes to create pneumatic, inflatable structures that harness the modular potential of thermo plastics. By utilizing heat-welded, dual-layer TPU membranes, I am developing self-forming and programmable inflatable objects that can dynamically respond to user interaction. This approach leverages the concept of material functionalism, where the potential of each modular unit is continuously activated through dynamic use, challenging the static nature of conventional inflatable designs.Inspired by studies in self-forming materials and the idea that “form adapts, material responds,” my work integrates rigorous experimentation with an interdisciplinary design philosophy.
I propose that regenerativity stems from rethinking material functionalism—where human interaction plays a pivotal role in activating the latent potential of a product. Through the creation of an inflatable utensil composed of modular units and parametric patterns, each contributing to the overall form and utility, I aim to explore the functionality of inflatable in real life.
