Rewoven realities; transforming textile waste into an interactive narrative experience

Abstract

“Rewoven Realities” explores the potential of transforming textile waste into an architectural installation, challenging conventional perceptions of discarded materials. The project investigates how textiles, often seen as soft, secondary, and disposable, can be reframed as spatial components with architectural, sensory, and structural potential. By integrating principles of circularity, sustainability, and material-driven design, this research examines how repurposed textiles can create environments that engage visitors beyond the visual—through tactility, light filtration, and acoustic properties. The methodology follows a material-driven design approach, where the available textile waste shapes the form of the installation. Through experimentation with textile techniques and full-scale prototyping, the study explores how the fabric can transition from waste to something meaningful. The research also incorporates social engagement, involving individuals and companies in the material collection process, encouraging broader discussions on waste cycles, material responsibility, and participatory design in architecture. By showing how textile waste can be reused and adapted, this project questions linear consumption patterns. It also challenges the architectural tradition of valuing permanence over flexibility. The installation serves as both an experiential space and a material investigation, exploring the role of soft, adaptable, and reconfigurable elements in spatial design. It contributes to discussions on how discarded materials can inform new architectural narratives, circular design methodologies, and an expanded understanding of materiality in architecture