THE CURTAIN PROJECT : BIO-TEX
CURTAINS TO REDUCE OUR ENERGY BILLS
ABOUT A WORKER was invited by the urbanism research group POST MINING NETWORK, to host a textile workshop with Architecture students from ENSAPL school and inhabitants from Cité d’Orient : a former mining social housing district in a northern city of France : Harnes.
ABOUT THE CONTEXT
CREDIT : STEPHEN DOCK
In today’s time, it is becoming financially and environmentally difficult, to consume energy as we used to. Climate is changing and so are our houses and our resources. The research group POST MINING NETWORK has been working for years on how to renovate houses with inhabitants. After many tests and studies on typical social brick houses from the Nothern part of France, they realized that fabric was once used by many local families as a cheap, weightless and smart isolation system.
CREDIT : STEPHEN DOCK
ABOUT THE COLLABORATION
Post-Mining Network contacted ABOUT A WORKER to activate a social and creative link between Architecture students and inhabitants from Cité d’Orient. The aim of the collaboration was to create Thermal Curtains all together, by taking in account the ideas and crafts of Architects and the curtains users. ABOUT A WORKER hosted a couture workshop : within 4 sessions Students and inhabitants learned basic sewing skills, made and designed as a collective, thermal tests and curtains, with fabric dead stocks from regional companies.
Thanks to our textile partners L’Atelier des Matières, Lemaitre Demeestere, Safilin, Sophie Hallette and le Relais Métisse who gave us deadstocks materials for the project.
step 1 : meet the residents at home
With the architecture students and researchers, ABOUT A WORKER met with residents inside their home. It was a great manner to understand their way of living, while discovering the isolation issues and energy costs behind the housing structures.
STEP 2 : THERMAL TESTS
After gathering dead stock fabrics from different regional companies, ABOUT A WORKER and Post Mining Network asked students and residents to collaborate together, in order to create and tests thermal materials : using Linen fabrics and fibers, upcycled clothing fibers, wool, lace and tule.
Once the participants had made their numerous assemblages : they were asked to put them in a fridge, in order to understand their creations heat reactions.
STEP 3 : curtain tests
Once the assemblages were tested, the participants made thermal curtains with the residents right doors and windows measurement. They assembled the curtains within two days, by taking in account the coldness and humidity constraints. Each group created one curtain for one resident.
STEP 4 : prototypes
Once the unique curtains were tested, POST MINING NETWORK and ABOUT A WORKER re-interpreted them in order to imagine ready-made curtains. With a velcro and washable system, the two collectives came up with an inspiring production system for the curtains to be reproducible elsewhere and used in any home. ABOUT A WORKER fabricated a series of 10 curtains , which are currently in use at Cité d’Orient.
Are you interested to know more about this project ? Would you like thermal curtains at your home ?