This course will introduce you to the multi-disciplinary confluence of materials, engineering, history, biology, and ergonomics to enable creative inter-disciplinary design of more sustainable products. Taking a journey through the interconnected history and evolution of materials with our natural and built environments, we will begin by identifying various classes of ancient and advanced engineering materials, their enabling properties and end-use in products. Through this journey, we will explore how materials have shaped our diverse society as well as how society has shaped materials-based technologies.
Considering the life-cycle of a material, we examine and assess how - and how much - a product impacts our natural environment, and what design choices we can make to reduce impact. We will also look at how biology generates solutions, and how through philosophies of biomimetics we may learn from Nature. We then delve deeper into our materials world and, by focusing on classes of materials, reflect on how advancements in materials and materials-related technologies have led to unique opportunities (think of timber for skyscrapers) and presented new challenges (think of the ocean plastic problem).
On this course, we will explore natural materials, plastics, building materials (concrete, earth, brick), metals, ceramics, glasses and composites. It will be taught through a combination of discursive lectures, hands-on activities and design exercises in inter-disciplinary groups, and flipped lectures.
Learning outcomes
- Awareness of the impact of materials on our environment, and carrying out an assessment of material (and product) life cycles to inform design choices.
- Appreciation of the interrelated nature of materials engineering and society (including cultural and historical contexts), and reflection on how technological advancements lead to new solutions and new challenges.
- Applying critical and creative thinking in solving problems with the multi-/inter-disciplinary confluence of materials, engineering, and design.
