A paper on our latest study on bike frame structures was our contribution to the IASS-IWSS Conference 2026, September 14-18 in Turin, Italy
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reuse
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: 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 1: bike frame demonstrator
Cluster 1: Formable bike frame structure
Cluster 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 2: Learning from Heineken’s WOBO Bottle Â
WOBO: The Beer Bottle Designed to Build Homes. In the 1960s, Alfred Heineken visited Curaçao and noticed two things: beaches were littered with glass bottles, many from his own brand, and a huge housing shortage. This led him to an idea: what if beer bottles could be used as bricks for housing?
Continue readingCluster 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: 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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