Full scale form-finding: Introducing fabric materiality in the fabrication of architecural FRP

FRP's (fiber reinforced polymers) unique material properties have led to its wide application across industries in the past decades. Although we witness a growing interest in the material in the architectural field in recent years, a significant barrier to its application lies in the need for a mould. The paper describes an initial proposal for an alternative fabrication process for architectural FRP elements that relies on fabric-materiality. Self-organisation and textile manipulations embedded in the suggested fabrication process suggest a mould free process, combining form finding and garment making techniques, to allow for complex morphologies, surface articulation and variation, being essential in contemporary architectural practices. The paper describes the fabrication process through physical experiments, as well as its design process and potential architectural applications through digital experiments.