Materiability Research Group

29/12/2025

2025 highlighted a plurality of trajectories into future scenarios.
At Materiability, we moved across many directions in parallel — through research events, fairs, conversations, experiments, and the people who shaped them.
We explored new technologies, critically questioned their implications, experimented with living materials, and developed ideas for livable futures in a constantly changing world.
Grateful for every collaboration, challenge, and insight along the way.
Onward.kretzer .et.ti

22/12/2025

As part of the NEB project, Reallabor Zekiwa Zeitz, Weavium explores ornament not as applied decoration, but as material intelligence that emerges directly from fabrication logic. Developed through large-scale Fused Granular Fabrication (FGF), the project turns the 3D-printing toolpath into a woven, spatial action. A branching, self-supporting column that functions as an organic lattice structure becomes the case study for discontinuous deposition, advanced retraction control, and support-free printing. The structure is printed using an uncontrolled 1:20 blend of grey PLA and natural PLA with 10% cellulose fibres. Rather than relying on fixed patterns, Weavium uses an image-driven weaving strategy embedded directly into G-code, enabled by a custom toolpath generator that allows full customization of the printing path. The density and amplitude of the woven toolpath respond to AI-generated seamless image data, creating localized variation, subtle irregularities, and a delayed sense of order.

Lattice structure R&D, FGF additive manufacturing:
Ali Etemadi .et.ti
Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer .kretzer

Tabletop CNC milling:
Christian Kirchner
Prof. Nicolai Neubert






models: Louis Möckel

photos: Paulina Schröder

19/12/2025

"Engineering Resilience" Master thesis by Beyza Ecem Yilmaz
—⠀
Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer, Prof. Dr. Polat Darçın, SoSe 25, Master Integrated Design

.kretzer

30/10/2024

Dear friends and colleagues,

We are excited to inform you about our upcoming book release event for Synthetic Realities: New Frontiers in AI-driven Design, Fabrication, and Materiality, which will take place on November 12, 2024, 17:30, at the Köln International School of Design - KISD.

Synthetic Realities embarks on a groundbreaking journey on the profound impact of artificial intelligence on design, architecture, and art. The collection featuring contributions from renowned international experts, explores how AI is transforming creative disciplines, merging the digital with the physical, and redefining the boundaries of materiality and aesthetics. By examining AI’s influence on new aesthetic realms, bio-digital synergies, and innovative forms of materiality, the book invites readers to reconsider the evolving relationships between humans, technology, and creativity.

The event will include insightful presentations and discussions with several of the book’s contributors, each offering unique perspectives on how AI is shaping the future of creative fields.

Attached is a flyer with the full program, including details on speakers and session topics. We would be delighted to welcome you to join us for an evening of thought-provoking exchange and engagement with the ideas shaping our field.

You may purchase the book here:
https://aadr.info/product/synthetic-realities/

08/10/2024

The master thesis of Louis looks at sustainable interior car design and proposes the prototype of a multifunctional 3d-printed centre console.


Supervision: Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer, Prof. Nicolai Neubert
-printing

07/10/2024

Otto's master’s thesis explores transforming plastic waste into new
products using DIY methods and Makerspace culture. It focuses on
building a plastic shredder and developing a 3D printer extruder to
demonstrate the challenges and potential of local plastic recycling.

Supervision: Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer, Dr. Ines Oehme Umweltbundesamt


.design

07/10/2024

Packaging Futures by Leo Altmann examines the environmental impact of current food packaging and explores the elements that contribute to more sustainable alternatives.

Supervision: Prof. Dr. Manuel Kretzer, Prof. Nicolai Neubert

09/09/2024

11/05/2024

BIOPOLYESTER
Moving beyond Sustainability into Regeneration

How can bio-based polyester support a truly circular fashion economy?

Biopolyester is a master’s thesis by Vanessa Song, focused on the imperative need for transforming the fashion industry’s supply chain towards a circular production and consumption.

https://materiability.com/portfolio/biopolyester/

10/11/2023

SOFT ROBOTICS by MengXi Wang
In the first phase I mainly tested the entry sizes and some basic patterns for the connection parts. In the second phase I developed the basic patterns from the first phase and expanded on them by looking at the way the air moves in the cavity, in this phase I discovered the special behaviour of the S-shaped structure and tested it to disprove some initial hypotheses. In the third phase I developed and tested further based on some of the patterns I had already tested, and in the process discovered the peculiarities of the spiral cavity as it moved, and decided that the final project would be mainly about spiral and S-shaped structures. In the final stage I fine-tuned the pattern to make the entrance and the pattern more smooth, in order to prevent the cutting machine from cutting through the material. Based on the pattern and the machine characteristics, I used clear TPU to cut the S-shaped structure in the small laser cutting machine and non-transparent TPU to cut the spiral shape in the large laser cutting machine.

08/11/2023

SYNTHETIC APPENDAGES by Mehiar Bitari
My process started off with period of trial-and-error in order to achieve an optimal collection of settings on either laser cutting machines for effectively melding the two versions of TPU. After that, I set out to test phalange-like forms and assess their interaction with several air pressures and intervals. Following various observations on the expected and undesirable reactions of the pieces my peers and I made, I started to investigate the effects of creating a sealed compartment by melding on both sides of the surface. This caused the artifact to have localized instances of increased surface tension. While I was anticipating the models to contract in both directions without any intervention, the results indicated that the piece will naturally flex on the side of higher complexity, which in this case meant more geometry and tension. Nonetheless, one advantage of these iterations was that when manually moved, the ‚limbs‘ retained their shape, causing the design to be easily manipulated. This discovery was then further probed by creating a series of small alterations in the variables within the parameters of boundary, interjection, and spacing, to test what configurations might lead to the best outcome.

06/11/2023

FLEXIBOT by Oumaima Labben and Ezzeldeen Agha
“In this exploration of soft robotics, we delve into the realm of using flexible
materials to enable movement. Our expertise centers around the planning and
fabrication of inflatable structures known as soft robots, where we harness the
power of air pressure to dictate their behavior. By utilizing these innovative
techniques, we unlock a world of possibilities in creating dynamic and adaptable
robotic systems.

In the final product, the successful elements from these experiments were
integrated. The layers were connected at the center, and additional guiding lines
were added to enhance folding movements. This allowed for more controlled and
precise motions, transforming the design from a two-dimensional shape to
a more three-dimensional and organic structure. The final outcome was
a culmination of knowledge and insights gained from the iterative
experimentation process.”