PLAID: experimenting with unnatural local materials

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Interiors Design Architecture Culture

DOI

10.1080/20419112.2025.2521214

Abstract

PLAID is an experimental interior art installation that brings together Silicon Valley’s agricultural history with the region’s contemporary technological focus through the innovative use of waste stream materials. The installation demonstrates how post-industrial remnants can be redefined as "local" vernacular building materials for 21st-century interior design and architecture. The PLAID structure comprises 300 recycled glass rods from the bankrupt solar company Solyndra, filled with local agricultural materials including wine and natural dyes made from regional crops, connected by biodegradable 3D-printed nodes. This research explores the potential for industrial waste to function as vernacular building materials while questioning traditional definitions of locality in contemporary construction practices. The project establishes a methodology for combining high-tech fabrication with regional agricultural resources to create luminous spatial assemblies that bridge Silicon Valley’s past and present. Future iterations will incorporate geological materials including salt, limestone, and wood waste from regional sources, expanding the vocabulary of local materials available for architectural applications.

Keywords

3D printing, agricultural materials, industrial waste, Silicon Valley, sustainable design, vernacular materials

Department

Design

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