Material Transformation (2024)

Author Information:

Chia Wei, Kang | Claire, Chen | Cheng Yang, Tsai | Fang Yi, He | Han Wen, Liu | Joyce, Wang

Kuan Wen, Lin | Kai Fei, Chan | Li Cheng, Zhu | Po Sen, Huang | Ruo Yi, Lian | Shih Chi, Huang

Shu Fan, Tsou | She Chang, Fan | Tzu Hsuan, Li | Xin Yu, Wang | You Wei, Guo | Yen Hsun, Ke | Zi Xian, Luo

 In an era where local solutions are key to global challenges, Material Transformation by Betterment Laboratory is your gateway to the next frontier of sustainable architecture and design. This compelling journey through three years of pioneering research in Kuching, Borneo, explores how innovative approaches to materials can reshape our built environment.

Discover how we harness the potential of dry, wet, and hybrid processes to transform both natural and synthetic materials, pushing the boundaries of sustainability and design. From traditional wisdom to the latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence, this book delves into the transformative power of materials and their narratives.

Material Transformation is not just a book; it's an invitation to architects, researchers, and material designers to rethink and reimagine the possibilities of material use. Through detailed case studies, collaborative testbeds, and Al-enhanced research, this book reveals how materials can drive systemic change in industry and community contexts. Join us on this transformative journey and become a part of the conversation shaping the future of sustainable design. Dive into Material Transformation and discover how the materials of today can forge a more resilient and innovative tomorrow.

Publication Year: 2024

Published by

B. Crafts Atelier ©

30, Jalan Tabuan, 93100, Kuching, Sarawak

Borneo Malaysia

Medium: illustration Book

Original Size: 6800mm X 1200mm

Illustrator: Chia Wei Kang

The illustration depicts enduring practices deeply rooted in diverse landscapes, alongside the ancient wisdom gleaned from these varied terrains.

媒介：插圖書

原尺寸：6800毫米 x 1200毫米

插畫師：康家瑋

這幅插畫描繪了根植於多樣化地形中的持久實踐，以及從這些不同地域中獲得的古老智慧。

This book was created as part of the research project “Big Trip – Tracking New Connections,” spanning from 2021 to 2023. It brings together articles written in various temporal states.

To gather ancestral wisdom from different places and ethnic groups, we used text, images, sound, interviews, and experiential exploration as mediums of exploration. Most of the research and collection work took place during the pandemic, with each of us confined to rooms around the world. During this time, the uncertainty of the pandemic seemed to bond us with everyone we came into contact with, and we recorded what we knew.

At the beginning of this project, we started with stories from our own experiences or those of people close to us. These stories, combined with the materials we could find, began to interconnect and reveal a series of commonalities.

How dreams guide exploration, how gathering in nature shapes culture, the abilities we have lost due to environmental changes, and our perceptions of medicine. These may seem like unique perspectives, but similar texts can be found in different places around the world.

‘Before the colonial governments came, we were serumpun.’

Pak Sujianto, the ketua Kampung, Jagoi Babang in Kalimantan (2022)

Serumpun means a bundle of grass that shares the same root. It helps us convey how knowledges, wisdom and material cultures in craft across the borders of Kalimantan, Sarawak and Sabah connect together as a wider ecosystem. ‘Serumpun’ is also the title for this collective publication, which shares and reflects upon the process and outcomes from C&VM ad the 11 craft projects that took place across Borneo in 2022. We explore craft and expand upon ways in which craft embodies knowledges and wisdom, drives activism and supports unity.

Convergence
Betterment Laboratory 2023 | Borneo Laboratory Annual Workshop with Feng Chia University

"Convergence: Research & Development in Materiality with Artificial Intelligence Assisted Process" unveils a diverse range of research and development endeavors, showcasing the immense potential of AI in unlocking new possibilities within architectural materials. Through meticulous experimentation and collaborative efforts, each project explores the impact of AI on material exploration, pushing the boundaries of design and construction. From the repurposing of textile waste to the exploration of futuristic thin-shell structures, these endeavors delve into the transformative power of AI, shaping the way we approach materiality in architecture.

"Convergence" is an outcome of a six-month research laboratory focused on Materiality, Architectural Innovation, and Community. This collaborative initiative, co-organized by Feng Chia University and Borneo Laboratory since 2022, forms an integral part of the credited design studio course within the university's fourth-year Architecture Department.

The studio led by WTA in 2023 embraces a forward-thinking approach, recognizing the immense architectural opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, digital fabrication, situated knowledge, and sustainable materiality. With a vision to enable architectural potentials within the community, the project seeks to bridge the gap between innovative design and the needs of the local context. "Convergence" also seeks to be a testament to the collective efforts and shared vision of students, educators, and the community. Through immersive exploration and hands-on experiences, the project showcases the architectural innovation in creating positive change and fostering sustainable development.

The process of working with soil is a humbling one. The material narrates a lesson for all involved about their landscape. Building and objects that use soil take on its meaning. But often, the hegemony dictates that this meaning is humble and undignified. In this project, we are interested in exploring the vocabulary of soil through the eyes of ancient and emerging practitioners. Through comparative study we will get to see what soil can reveal to us, contextualising our landscape in relation to what it has been through. In this time when climate change is affecting the entire planet, global connections using familiar materials are important when exploring solutions.

What is Borneo Laboratory book about?

—

A Book Dedicated to the Contemporary Landscape of Borneo Art

—

The Borneo Laboratory book is a selected palette of art projects, conceived and carried out with the goal of extending and developing Borneo’s existing cultural narrative. Built on four pillars of creative focus – Design and Make; Food; Documentation and the Performing Arts – it presents experienced practitioners and the innovative changes they conjured in their respective fields. It will take you through their projects, through setbacks and triumphs, through collaboration and individual endeavour, and from concept to completion. From these, you will encounter the diversity of arts and culture in the contemporary Borneo landscape. This book represents a progression from our previous Borneo Art Collective publication, which featured the unfolding stories of individual cultural practitioners in Borneo. This Borneo Laboratory book, instead, is more an exploration of the original content of its authors, told in their own words.

The Book Making

Since we started our journey, from the beginnings of Borneo Art Collective until the start of Borneo Laboratory in 2018, we have always believed that Borneo could be the destination for experimental art, given its abundance in materials, ingredients and ambience. We see the realisation of this book as the stone that precedes the ripples. While we were planning for our second book, we hoped its production could itself be a platform for art practitioners to work on the innovation they wished to see. We engaged them, explored with them and provided our space for them to explore every possibility for the content. During the production process, never a day has gone by without us being inspired by the dialogue we have collectively created. The making of this book has allowed the creatives to be more courageous, experimental, reflective and critical in their projects. The documentation for the book provided them with the opportunity to review the purpose, methods and dialogues their projects have crafted, and how they could contribute to the wider conversation in their field. Over the past two years, we have realised there is nothing more motivating and encouraging than the manifestation of good will, so it is when we speak about innovation in art and crafts.

Why

Publication is an important medium of exposure for Bornean contemporary art and culture. From our roots as a digital platform, we wanted this handcrafted book to be a work of art in itself. Through its creation, we hope to inspire a different angle of exploration in Borneo contemporary art and culture. We believe that only through actively engaging practitioners to review and explore the potential of their respective content, through the tangible forms of print and ink, can the contemporary practice in art be unlocked.

[Why a Book?]

Our story has always been about individuals coming together to realise a common vision of taking back the narrative of Borneo. It means that apart from our online platform, we will need to demonstrate our exploration in featuring Borneo art content through more tangible format. Since end of 2016, we decided it will be a crafted book with underlying Borneo artistic value.

[Making of this Book]

In fact, we are quite alerted by the fact that not many book in the market reflect Bornean cultural landscape that we can relate to. Therefore the same question frequented our mind, whenever we were browsing around the book store in our respective regions before we moved back to Borneo: 

How could we make a book that we could truly relate to, in terms of Borneo Art and Culture with a collective viewpoint?

The making of this annual book of Borneo Art Collective emphasizes on the exploration in book crafting in Borneo craftsmanship context.  Since mid 2016, we were looking at how the graphical languages could be incorporated into our book design.

[Request for Book Fund]

We have been working quite closely with our publisher and printing contact to engineer quality. However with the quality we trying to achieve, we are still short of 2400 GBP for our book.

In order to collect the fund for this book project, we decided to launch our a presale of our book during our road trip(1st of March till 30th of March 2017). Please support us by getting a book from here, as we continue our journey to rediscover and understand the simple human values that connects us all; a connection from Borneo to the world!

[Content of the book]

Since early 2016, we have been exploring Borneo's cultural context through theme based content groups. In 2017, we incorporated collaboration with artist  as our content driver. These content covered illustration, design, bodily art, music, photography and festival et cetera. These content will be incorporated into our book content in considered forms.

[Why a Book?]

Our story has always been about individuals coming together to realise a common vision of taking back the narrative of Borneo. It means that apart from our online platform, we will need to demonstrate our exploration in featuring Borneo art content through more tangible format. Since end of 2016, we decided it will be a crafted book with underlying Borneo artistic value.

[Making of this Book]

In fact, we are quite alerted by the fact that not many book in the market reflect Bornean cultural landscape that we can relate to. Therefore the same question frequented our mind, whenever we were browsing around the book store in our respective regions before we moved back to Borneo: 

How could we make a book that we could truly relate to, in terms of Borneo Art and Culture with a collective viewpoint?

The making of this annual book of Borneo Art Collective emphasizes on the exploration in book crafting in Borneo craftsmanship context.  Since mid 2016, we were looking at how the graphical languages could be incorporated into our book design.

[Request for Book Fund]

We have been working quite closely with our publisher and printing contact to engineer quality. However with the quality we trying to achieve, we are still short of 2400 GBP for our book.

In order to collect the fund for this book project, we decided to launch our a presale of our book during our road trip(1st of March till 30th of March 2017). Please support us by getting a book from here, as we continue our journey to rediscover and understand the simple human values that connects us all; a connection from Borneo to the world!

[Content of the book]

Since early 2016, we have been exploring Borneo's cultural context through theme based content groups. In 2017, we incorporated collaboration with artist  as our content driver. These content covered illustration, design, bodily art, music, photography and festival et cetera. These content will be incorporated into our book content in considered forms.