oskar zieta on volumetric expansion

oskar zieta on volumetric expansion – the future nomadsimage © designboom

in an interdisciplinary exhibition put together by designer oskar zieta and the polish institute in berlin (showing not just industrial design, but also creatures and organisms which present the inner workings and versatile functions possible with volumetric expansion), ‘the future nomads’ exhibition–presented during DMY berlin 2013 and will run until august 30th– bridges bionics, technology and innovation, together to shed new light on future and sustainable construction techniques. investigated through a series chairs and tables, zieta reinvents the old and familiar by utilizing his trademark ‘FIDU’ inner-pressure expanding metal forming process. the method uses two shapes cut from steel sheets, which are then welded around their edges and inflated into a three-dimensional object. the deformation of metal sheets caused by the pressure amplifies the structural integrity of the expanded volume. as the innovative process is capable of creating highly complex and intricate forms, products can be created from the ‘bottom up’, additively, eliminating off-cuts during manufacturing.

demonstration of the scale in which the FiDU process can be appliedimage © designboom

detail of the inflated metalimage © designboom

experiments in volumetric expansionimage © designboom

prototype EV VI – volumetric expansion scale (1:14,9)prototype EV IV – volumetric expansion scale (1:21)prototype EV V – volumetric expansion scale (1:9,3)image © designboom

up closeimage © designboom

prototype EV II – volumetric expansion scale (1:34,5) inflated metal table baseimage © designboom

prototype EV III – volumetric expansion scale (1:8)image © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

prototype EV III – volumetric expansion scale (1:8)image © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

from left to rightprototype EV VI – volumetric expansion scale (1:14,9)prototype EV IV – volumetric expansion scale (1:21)prototype EV V – volumetric expansion scale (1:9,3)image © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

prototype EV II – volumetric expansion scale (1:34,5)image © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

prototype EV VIII – volumetric expansion scale (1:28,6)image © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

‘plopp’ stoolsee more about this project on designboom here

general view of oskar zieta’s installation at ‘the future nomads’ exhibition during DMY berlinimage © designboom

other works related to this notion of ‘volumetric expansion’ are being exhibited alongside zieta’s FiDU processed furniture with frackenpohl poulheim’s ‘cave dome tent’ for heimplanet hanging from the ceiling (see more about this inflatable shelter on designboom here)image © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

alongside zieta’s work, were a number of other projects by such designers: airboard, erik stehmann, heimplanet, kyouei design, malafor, musucbag, nobile kiteboarding, polish institute berlin and yuya ushida.

the exhibition presents the work of international designers who use inflation in the process of forming their productsimage © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

‘the future nomads’image © camilla lobo/marcin zastrozny/paulina sikorska/zieta prozessdesig

designboom recently caught up with oskar zieta during belgrade design week 2013 where he exhibited his work and was one of the program speakers. zieta sat down and spoke to us about his design process and thinking, the importance of a systematic studio practice, and the benefits of working with family.

designboom interviews oskar zieta during belgrade design week 2013video © designboom

1/8