On November 7th, you can find us in Salzburg at this year’s Maker Faire, hosted at the HTBLuVA Salzburg!
Doors open 10:00 a.m. -6:00 p.m.
Flex.Node goes Maker Faire Salzburg 2026
cluster 3
Cluster 3: Flex.Node Building Kit: Play
We continued developing the Flex.Node as a building kit for play. We redesigned the connection system to make assembly faster and easier and developed different node modules that can be combined in many ways.
At the Angewandte Festival, we transformed part of the exhibition into an open building site. Visitors could build with the system themselves and become part of the research 🙂
Continue readingCluster 3: Building Our First Flex.Node Dome
After months of collecting detergent bottles, experimenting with connectors, heat-welding plastic nodes, printing prototypes, and testing assemblies, we built our first Flex.Node geodesic dome.
At this year’s Angewandte Festival, we presented the project to the public for the first time. Over four days, visitors could not only walk inside the dome but also explore the development process behind it.
Cluster 3: Test Setup – Quater Dome with Detergent Bottle Flex Nodes
We constructed a quarter dome using detergent bottle Flex Nodes and PVC pipe connections. The prototype consisted of 20 nodes (60 bottles), 25 PVC pipes, and 50 3D-printed ABS connectors.
Continue readingCluster 3: Redesigning the Bottle Cap — a 3D-Printable Connection System
Following the insights from our tension tests, we shifted our focus towards redesigning the bottle cap as a connection element. The aim is to develop a 3D-printable cap that allows pipes to be inserted and fixed, enabling the construction of stable systems.
Continue readingCluster 3: Physical Experiments — Testing the Detergent Bottle Cap Connection System Under Tension
Before proceeding with the construction of a detergent flex-node system, we conducted a series of physical experiments to evaluate which parameters perform best under tensile forces. The goal was to identify the most effective combination of cone geometry and pipe cut configuration.
Continue readingCluster 3: Connector System for Detergent-Bottle Nodes and PVC Pipes
In this study, we explore how to create a simple connection system between the detergent-bottle nodes and PVC pipes. The aim is to develop a connector system that:
- uses as few components as possible,
- can be assembled and disassembled without tools or skills,
- performs well under tension and compression,
- and reuses an existing element of the bottle (the cap).
Cluster 3: From Container to Connector
We’re returning to the detergent bottle — and to the techniques we explored earlier with pressed plastic panels in the Pearse structure. But this time, the goal is to preserve more of the bottle’s original shape while still transforming it into a structural element.
Continue readingCluster 3: Space Filling Geometry Systems – Approximating Artefacts Through Geometry
In this phase of the project, we’ve shifted our perspective. Until now, the physical experiments revolved around pressing artefacts into a predefined geometric mold. Specifically, we worked with the Peter Pearce’s Curved Space System, using saddle pentagons to form a continuous surface. This approach treated geometry as the fixed system, and artefacts as materials to be adapted. But what if we turned the concept around?
Continue readingCluster 3: Molding Experiments – recycled Plastic Panels
Recycling plastic into panels for Peter Pearce’s Curved Space structure presents several challenges, from understanding material properties to refining the molding process. Through this series of experiments, we explored different plastic types, tested different melting techniques to create saddle pentagon panels.
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