Xylinum

by Jannis Hülsen

Recent industrial design graduate, Jannis Hülsen, explores the future of materials and production through his project Xylinum. In contrast to recent science+design projects, Hülsen actually works in with the material - using bacteria to 'upholster' a prototype stool.

From Jannis:

Xylinum is a research project that poses the question: what could future materials and production processes be like?

The title Xylinum is the name of the bacterium which produces an artificial cellulose material. This bacterium counsumes sugar and builds a cellulose fibre structure around any given form.

Since the process takes place in a nutrition liquid, the wet material can be dryed later on, resulting in a durable and 100 % biodegradable material.

The properties of this material can be adjusted by changing the genetic code of the organisms. In collaboration with the company Jenpolymers, a technique was developed to create a »skin« around a wooden stool frame, forming the coating and seating surface.

Jannis Hülsen

Trocknungsprozeß from jannis on Vimeo.

Xylinum by Jannis Hülsen

Xylinum by Jannis Hülsen

Xylinum by Jannis Hülsen