Assignment 4: Material Precedents, Particle Board

Material Research Process: Week 1

Begum and I started our first set of basic material exploration last week. We began by experimenting with each material's decomposing properties (or whether it naturally seems to want to tear, rip, shred, break, or crumble (etc.) apart. I personally developed an interest in pursuing some sort of particle board after receiving promising decomposition results from the sugar cane waste. From here, Begum and I tested a range of simple adhesives including wheat paste, liquid latex, wood glue, sobo, and plastic resin. Samples were pressed in varying molds during dry time to ensure most compact, board-like result.

bagasse / sugar cane / rice hull / rice straw 

 liquid latex/crushed sugarcane

 liquid latex/chopped ricestraw 

 2 piece mold for lamination purposes

 crushed sugar cane/chopped rice straw + liquid latex

 sugar cane lamination process / woodglue

 final laminated sample

 complete set of labeled samples

Material Microscopic Studies

Last Thursday I had the opportunity of using the RISD Nature Lab's digital miscroscopes to study at the materials at 100X their original size. I was able to really gain new understandings of each material's actual cellular makeup in comparison to other similar natural materials.

Here's some examples:

bagasse

bagasse (detail)

 sugar cane

sugar cane (detail)

 rice straw

rice hull

To gain an understanding of the possible potential uses for the new materials I also examined some other similar, culturally and historically used materials under the microscopes:

 fleece

 natural flax

natural flax (detail)

Peabody Museum Trip: Harvard University

Last week, we took a trip up to Boston to visit Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Anthropology. We were able to get have many varying cultural artifacts pulled from the depths of the collections for our viewing pleasure. Specifically, we looked at objects fabricated from agricultural fibers and materials similar to our own. I was inspired by many different native cultures' weaving and basketry techniques, as they vary drastically from region to region. I was also extremely interested in the felting and blanket making techniques shown and see many new potential future explorations for our materials on the horizon.

Assignment 3: Costa Rica/Regional Health Infographics

Medical/Health Tourism

While researching Costa Rica's historical/contemporary medical statistics and health policy I stumbled upon something that I had not been aware of the existence of. Apparently Costa Rica is one of the leading medical and health tourism destinations in the world. Not only does Costa Rica's health system rank higher than that of the United States, Costa Rican surgeries typically cost a third of the price. Paired with the fact that a Visa is not needed to enter the country for less than 90 days, Costa Rica ends up being a very desirable destination for two opposite ends of the medical spectrum. Medical practitioners frequent the country looking for referential precedents, while potential patients frequent the country looking for cheap out-sourced cosmetic surgery.  

Find out more: http://www.health-tourism.com/costa-rica-medical-tourism/

Assignment 2: 20k House Case Study