Research Incubator: Material Synthesis

Description:

The research incubator "Síntesis Material" focuses on exploring the intersection between materials, technology, and biology in the creative process. Through the integration of digital tools, computational processes, and biomaterials, it seeks to transform materiality into an active agent capable of optimizing performance and functionality in creative projects.

The initiative aims to challenge traditional approaches to materialization, promoting digital fabrication, material speculation, and adaptive innovation. The incubator's participants – students, professors, and researchers – collaborate to develop new skills and create an environment of joint experimentation, with the goal of fostering a culture of formative research and a creative approach to materials as dynamic and transformative elements.

General Objective:

The incubator is part of the overall line of "Creation and research in interdisciplinary and creative practices," and seeks to strengthen knowledge and practice at the intersection of materials, technology, and creation, integrating digital and biological processes to transform materials into active agents that optimize performance and functionality within the creative process.

Specific Objectives:

1. 1. Develop skills in the use of digital tools and computational processes for exploring and transforming materials in creation.
2. 2. Explore the use of biomaterials and biological processes to generate new sustainable alternatives in the creative process.
3. 3. Promote digital fabrication as a means to challenge traditional approaches to materialization and encourage innovative and adaptive forms of creation.
4. 4. Create spaces for discussion and collaboration among students, professors, and researchers that foster the exchange of knowledge and joint experimentation.
5. 5. Contribute to the development of a culture of formative research where participants can experiment, speculate, and learn by doing, transforming materiality into a dynamic component of the creative process.

Research Lines or Active Projects:

1. 1. Responsive and Adaptive Materials: Research on materials that react to changes in the environment, such as light, temperature, or humidity, and their application in the creative process.
2. 2. Digital Fabrication and New Construction Methods: Exploration of digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printing and robotics, to develop new ways of creating structures and creative pieces.
3. 3. Biomaterials and Sustainability: Study of materials derived from biological processes and their potential to promote sustainability in creation.
4. 4. Computational Processes for Creation: Use of algorithms and simulations to optimize the generation of forms and structures, improving the performance of materials.
5. 5. Innovation in Materiality: Exploration of new material possibilities that challenge traditional notions and promote innovative approaches in design and creation.
6. 6. Art-Science Intersection of Materials: Study of how discoveries in materials science can open new creative possibilities in the arts and design.
7. 7. Adaptive Design Strategies: Development of design techniques that integrate adaptive materials capable of responding to external factors and enhancing the functionality of the created object.
8. 8. Modular Assembly Techniques: Research on modular systems and their capacity to create complex, flexible, and easily adaptable structures.
9. 9. Intelligent and Sensory Materiality: Development of materials that incorporate sensors, creating pieces that interact with the environment and users.
10. 10. Sustainability and Material Lifecycle: Study of the environmental impact of materials and strategies to promote a circular economy in the creative process.