Output details

Plyflax

Kermik’s research for PlyFlax began with an exclusive invitation to contribute to EcoDesign 2012, held as part of Helsinki Design Week and World Design Capital 2012. His design was one of 44 shortlisted from over 100 internationally invited entries, alongside James Irvine, Karim Rashid and Yrjö Kukkapuro.

His research addresses two issues: ecological material engineering, through flax and plywood experiments, and the development of new ecologically resourced furniture designs.

The EcoDesign 2012 brief was materially driven and specified ‘products made of 80% FSC-certified wood and 20% other ecological materials’. Building on his research and expertise in the development of experimental flexible structures and plywood innovation, Kermik developed a new programme of research into natural flax fibres in order to formulate the PlyFlax process. This combined the advantages of composites with the enhanced performance of ‘stressed skin’ structures normally associated with material innovation in the early aviation structures (e.g. the Mosquito built by de Havilland). Led in Europe by the Estonian manufacturer Luterma, these early technologies opened up opportunities to refine a sophisticated engineering of lightness and were advanced by Kermik beyond conventional plywood technologies in the development of PlyFlax.

PlyFlax comprises interlocking layers of birch veneer reinforced with a matrix of flax fibres and bio-resin that reduces the thickness and enhances the performance of plywood shell construction without compromising its strength, flexibility or the viscous-elastic properties of the fibres.

The ergonomics of the seat design evolved from Kermik’s previous experiments with self-forming plywood springs, resulting in responsive geometries applicable to seating. Pressure applied through the bodyweight causes the springs to respond. Designed to test and to illustrate the use of this new material, PlyFlax became known as ‘woven wind’, a Japanese reference to flax. EcoDesign attracted 56,000 visitors and 1,100 international press-media representatives.

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