FORMULA

Wool MATERIAL DESCRIPTION Wool felt is one of the world’s oldest man-made fabrics because it does not require weaving. Instead, it interlocks to form a continuous useful material. Through a process of manipulating, hammering, and steaming, scales on the wool felt fibers engage each other to form a lasting, resilient bond. The natural fibers in wool felt cannot be duplicated in the laboratory. Each wool felt fiber has a flexible microscopic covering of scales similar to the scales on a fish. Wool felt scales are made of keratin, the same tough substance that grows to form horns and hooves on cattle and other animals. Keratin scales give wool felt fibers several advantages:

• They trap air to make excellent thermal insulators.
• They are extremely resistant to wear.
• They promote capillary action for wicking liquids.
• They form resilient bonds to absorb vibrations and shocks.
• They facilitate homogeneous penetration of chemical treatments.

 EXTRACTION PROCESS Felt is a no textile produced by condensing and pressing wool or synthetic fibers together, using their own adhesion property. BASIC PROPERTIES

ADVANTAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL FABRICATION

• Wool felt is highly resilient, retaining its strength and unique properties for decades.
• Felt does not ravel or fray.
• Felt can be cut to any size, shape or thickness with no need to finish edges.
• Felt can be hard enough to turn on a lathe or soft enough to be sewn.
• Felt has extraordinary wicking capabilities delivering consistent fluid flow without deterioration.
• Wool felt is a renewable and environmentally friendly resource.

 MATERIAL SUPPLIERS La casa del feltre – www.lacasadelfeltre.com/ Servei Estació – www.serveiestacio.com/ PRICE  La casa del feltre – www.lacasadelfeltre.com/ 25 € / m2 PROJECT PHOTOS     By Claudio Varone & Anneke Copier

Hodgetts + Fung used 16mm thick felt across the ceiling of the auditorium at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in an undulating plane to absorb sound. Suspended from an aluminum truss system and slit in a geometric pattern to create air pockets, the felt is attached to a polypropylene grid with vinyl upholstery buttons.

Clouds by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec