Set in Fibra
Using cotton waste to make mosaic tiles.
This project explores how cotton textile waste can be broken down, transformed, and reinterpreted through traditional craft practices. Composed primarily of cellulose - a carbohydrate found in plant cell walls - cotton fibre consists of layered polymer chains. Set in Fibra investigates how these fibres can be untwined and reconfigured through chemical cross-linking to create a new composite material. In doing so, it highlights the valuable polymers contained within municipal textile waste and challenges the assumption that these versatile constituents should end up in disposal streams.
Cotton played a pivotal role in the development of fibre technology in Catalonia, Spain. Building on this legacy, the project proposes a new fibre technology for use in Casa Batlló, the landmark building in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudí. Cotton pulp is transformed into structured tiles inspired by trencadís, Gaudí’s distinctive mosaic technique. Derived from the Catalan word trencar, meaning “to break,” trencadís embraces the deconstruction of materials. Here, it becomes a framework for reimagining textile waste, reconnecting with regional craft heritage while proposing a future-facing material within a circular system.
Josie Blundell
josie.blundell@outlook.com