Exhibition: Wool in Architecture - the aesthetic value

Start: 8 October 2024
End: 3 November 2024
Location: TU Delft Hortus Botanicus

Discover new possibilities for using sheep's wool: a graduation project by fibre artist and architecture student Sharon Engelsma.

Due to the availability and low cost of synthetic fibre products, a large proportion of sheep's wool is thrown away. This wool is often a by-product of sheep that are used for grazing in nature reserves or for meat production. Due to the low demand, especially for coloured wool, sheep's wool hardly has any value anymore. This problem could be solved by using wool not only in textiles, but also in architecture, where it can serve as protection against various weather conditions. Until now, sheep's wool has been used to a limited extent in Dutch architecture, mainly as an insulation material or in the interior. But with this exhibition Sharon wants to work with you to explore other possible applications, such as the use of wool as cladding, construction material or as a room divider.

From the perspective of Vitruvius, who states that good architecture consists of the elements of (aesthetic) beauty, functionality and constructive strength, the question arises how wool as a material can fit into these aspects. There is evidence that wool is a structurally strong material and that it is functional due to air purifying, insulating and water-repellent properties. But the aesthetic beauty of wool in architecture has hardly been explored.

With this exhibition Sharon would like to invite you to reflect on the aesthetic value of wool in the different layers of architecture by helping her complete a survey. Together, she hopes to be able to answer her research question: 'What is the aesthetic value of sheep's wool in architecture?'