About the Active Materials Lab (AML)

Our Vision

We believe the most meaningful advances in sustainability happen where design thinking meets scientific rigour. Our vision is to lead a new generation of active materials research in which designers, scientists and engineers work as equal partners, creating sustainable material systems that transform the apparel and textile industries and improve everyday life.

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Our Approach

Design and STEM are central to our work, and neither leads alone. Materials science, biology and engineering tell us what is possible. Design asks what is desirable, responsible and meaningful for people and the planet. Bringing these perspectives together from the start of a project lets us address sustainability at the level of the material itself, not only at the end of its life.

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Our team spans research, academia and technical practice, supported by PhD researchers and postdoctoral research associates. We value every contributor’s expertise, and we work with industry and community stakeholders so our research responds to real needs.

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What Sets Us Apart

We look to biological materials for guidance. In nature, structure and information are closely linked, which lets materials adapt, repair and perform with very little waste. Designers bring craft knowledge, making and material intuition to this inquiry. Scientists bring analysis, characterisation and modelling. Working at this intersection, we learn from biology how to design active materials with exceptional properties and functions, and how to build sustainability into them from the very first decision.

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Key Focus Areas

• Bioinspired Design

• Textile-based Bioinspired Systems

• Soft Robotics

• The Future of Craft-based Practices

 

Study and Collaborate With Us

• PhD Study

• Student Projects