Investigating the Aesthetic Potential of Computational Composites

A computational composite is a material in which computations contribute to the properties of the material through their capability to control transitions between states in the other components of the composite. By letting the computer out of the box and into composite materials, we gain a new class of design materials, which hold aesthetic expressions we have not yet encountered. But, this class needs to be explored and engage other disciplines within the chain of materials and design. It needs to be a collaborative effort. The work delineated here suggest one approach to achieve such engagement by exploring the use of computations in changing the expression of known materials and in dominating otherwise, indomitable matters for material use. The openness of the experiments is meant to trigger the fantasy of the observer and thereby leave it up to designers, architects, material scientists, and others to imagine the potential of such materials in yet unknown contexts.