Design has the capacity to dramatically improve the lives of people. But it needs to continue to evolve if it is to remain relevant and meet the challenges of our new century. We know the problems. We experience them locally, globally. So what will propel us toward the new solutions that we currently lack?

We believe that in our age, the 21st Century, innovation will be driven by the emergence of advanced materials with novel properties. Thus, we work on projects that exploit emergent materials, with the aim of making original, inventive contributions to architecture and industrial design.

What it is: A strong, flexible membrane that is comprised of carbon nanotubes and conducts electricity.
Why it matters: Advancements in responsive products and environments will increasingly require lightweight, flexible, electrical networks with power storage capabilities.

What it is: Dry and wet carbon nanotube artificial muscles that change shape.
Why it matters: These shape-shifting material motors could be the means to enable new responsive systems and products that require lightweight, robust actuators.

What it is: A biomolecular sensor system that detects environmental toxins.
Why it matters: Biomolecules that are highly selective and highly sensitive to target agents can be used to quickly, and reliably, warn of environmental toxins.

What it is: Thermochromic smart material surfaces that change color on demand.
Why it matters: From thermal energy management to new forms of communication, there are a vast assortment of industrial design and architectural applications for components and surfaces that can change color.

What it is: Automated solar shading systems that are enabled by shape-shifting polymorphic smart materials.
Why it matters: Responsive facade systems that can dynamically mediate between interior and exterior conditions will help us increase energy conservation.

What it is: Origami structures that are activated by shape-shifting polymorphic smart materials.
Why it matters: From the design of DNA to Solar Satellite Sails, origami can help us achieve dramatic changes in shape and volume. We are investigating how it might be readily applied to deployable architectural components that use smart materials to (un)fold.