turborama on #storyofdesign — reimagining design and process with emma cogné

inspired by the 70’s architect and sociologist, yona friedman, on how he imagined spatial cities made up of mobile structures (in which the user-designed his own built environment), emma cogné started her design initiatives with turborama. the cheerful object to add and obtain at home, and its story of how it connects textiles with the barely-seen human values.

from gathering waste in construction sites around brussels city, and endless project observing deadlines, cogné has always wanted to create things with what already exists as a drive to reimagine and reusing materials from immediate surroundings.

however, challenges are still the notion. so, how does turborama challenge the idea of “textile” and its lifecycle? cogné reveals how turborama is involved in enhancing people’s lives as an object, and material making practice.

“turborama it is adapted to user needs, as it is customizable to fit in intermediate, temporary, or permanent areas. made only from ropes and plastic sheath, it is hand-knotted, which allows for variations in rhythms, colors, and density, and can be placed in many different combinations and dimensions. the plastic sheath made of polypropylene is traditionally used to protect electric cables.”

“turborama is recyclable, inexpensive, and weather resistant. it questions the lifecycle of a textile element through a craft manufacturing process: plastic sheath is broken down and put back together like a construction set. the rope connects the system. it’s used for its resistance, elasticity, to unite separate elements. each material remains intact: that means textile surfaces can be unlaced and reused. i’m interested in thinking of textiles as robust and sustainable materials able to be easily handled, transported, and still functional even when worn out.”

turborama and the current challenges in today’s ways of doing things

“turborama raises issues related to today’s architecture facing the housing and ecological crisis. i’m interested in the…