MINTA

The project

Minta – A modular structure system.

THE CHALLENGE
Architecture and interior design are always looking for cutting-edge surfaces and structural designs; therefore, there is a challenge in creating a truly versatile endless structures capable of being flexible without losing its modularity aspect. Those possibilities combined with sustainable materials create a truly innovative project.

THE SOLUTION
MINTA is a structure system based on the art of weaving. The logic of the handicraft is translated into modular multi-layered surfaces that create a unique aesthetic and customizable design innovated by a 3D software and the technology of laser cutting. By creating the modular system which then must be assembled by hand, we are returning to the roots of the traditional handicraft.

Storytelling

THE IDEA:

As a designer and artist I have always been very interested in building connections between surfaces, creating structures. All this I have developed based on the knowledge and logic I gained during my studies in textile design, and more precisely in woven fabric design. After finishing a project, I was in search of new challenges and exciting design ideas. In order to do that I thought I should organize myself and my thoughts, and what better way is there than to organize your direct surroundings? I started going through my shelves where I usually keep some old ideas and small structures, when I came upon a piece I made way back when I just moved to Berlin. I started playing around with it, experimenting with its size, its pattern and its intricacy. It wasn’t long before I started seeing the unlimited potential in this almost forgotten little structure. That day I dove into the world of it and haven’t come up since. 

THE BIRTH OF THE PROJECT:

My project started as a passion project. I was trying to create something new based on my existing knowledge — the tradition of weaving — and some newly acquired knowledge — the 3D software and laser-cutting technology I taught myself in the last 2-3 years. As a result, project ‘MINTA’ was born. It’s a new and intricate tool for creating unique, striking surfaces which can be applied in many different scenarios. Such a highly versatile design has a home in a world that appreciates and craves newness. With the structure system, I can create an unlimited number of new designs while also staying in touch with tradition.

THE CREATIVE PROCESS:

After finding the old piece of structure on the shelf, I started analyzing it and eventually put it into a 3D software. Bringing the concept into the digital realm expanded the possibilities even further, plus it simplified several processes which gave the idea more time and space to grow. My goal with the project was to create a new kind of structure system based on the traditional art of weaving. I have taken the logic of handicraft, innovated it through the software and the technology of laser cutting, and finally closed the circle by creating a modular system that must be assembled by hand — returning, in this way, to the roots of the traditional craft. 

While working on the project I had to face several challenges and difficulties. The two most important ones were gaining software skills and sourcing ready-made materials for the structures. I overcame these difficulties by investing time and effort into training myself in the software and by creating and testing my own laminated materials. Ideas which I couldn’t articulate in the program before became possible, and I also found some unique and promising material solutions with the appropriate attributes (flexibility, tensile strength, cuttable by laser beam).

THE COLLABORATION:

The collaboration between me and my partner company Makerspace.hu, and especially my contact person within the company Atilla Jeremiás Király, has benefited the project in many great ways.  In the beginning Makerspace.hu was supposed to be only responsible for the laser-cutting services, but thankfully Attila’s role in the project quickly outgrew the original idea. He supported the technical side of the project far beyond laser-cutting and also became a partner with whom I could share questions and issues about the project with on a daily basis. By getting our own part of the project done, we were supporting each other’s work and letting the project naturally evolve into something none of us expected in the beginning. This teamwork manifested itself well in the intense last two weeks of the prototyping phase, where all the work we had done during the year resulted in a well-balanced and efficient work-flow. 

THE FUTURE:

With the help of WORTH Partnership Project we have developed a truly unique structure system which can be utilized and expanded in many different fields of design (interior design, product design, furniture design, fashion design, architecture). As of now the product is not yet market-ready. We will need some additional support and investments in order to reach the project’s highest potential. The closing installation investigates the versatility and uncommon aesthetic of the structure system, while also showcasing its potential use in design. We would like to continue and deepen this investigation.

THE MESSAGE:

One should never underestimate the power of collaborations. I always found that putting people from different fields of expertise on one project can bring major benefits to the work due to the combination and cooperation of different minds and different views. These kinds of partnerships often result in the most striking design concepts. These end up being the ideas one individual wouldn’t be able to create alone as they need a group of people from different professional backgrounds to create something new and truly unusual. Be it the collaboration between a graphic designer and philosopher, or between a textile designer and a physicist.