FELT material and experience: A student project in the field

Abstract

Felt is an age-old material that has been met with renewed interest in the fields of architecture and interior design due to its rich aesthetic and material properties with its unique look, and practical characteristics including tactility and structure, and ability to resist fire and absorb sound. A quiet study room in the library at Ryerson University in Toronto, presented an opportune site for a felt wall. Working with a local architecture office that recently renovated the library—Gow Hastings Architects, along with a local felt factory and library staff, the course instructor and students had a context for learning how to work with architects, manufacturers and clients. A class competition provided the vehicle for students to present proposals to this committee of professionals in their field, and brought comradery and rivalry into the learning process. Through in-class workshops, presentations, and a final review process, a winning project was selected. The final wall panels were fabricated by the students according to their peers’ design, and installed on site with lighting supplied by the university library. The result was a process of collaboration and experiential learning in a supportive learning environment.

Keywords:

• Felt
• design
• interiors
• installation
• site-responsive
• experiential

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kathryn Walter

Kathryn Walter practices as an artist, designer, and educator. She has a BA in Art History from Queens University (1985) and studied at Emily Carr College of Art and Design (1987–1989) in Vancouver, where she began exhibiting her work. She completed an MFA in 1993 at Concordia University in Montreal, and in 1995 returned to her hometown of Toronto, where she continues to work at the intersection of visual art, design, and material culture through her company FELT: www.feltstudio.com. She has collaborated with numerous architects and designers on feature walls for interiors across Canada and the US, has lectured at colleges and universities, and has taught studio courses at Ontario College of Art and Design, the University of Toronto, Trent University and Ryerson University. Email: [email protected]