Hack The Material
A Flooring Experiment

Presentation of the Hack The Material design team

The Hack The Material team consists of three people: Sep Verboom, senior designer; Isabeau Goddé and Amber Dewaele, both young talent designers. This team could count on the support of Elise Bylo, design manager LVT & sheet vinyl and Justine Huysman, product designer carpet tiles at IVC Group. The team was immersed in a world of flooring material. After intensive visits to IVC‘s production sites in Avelgem and Mouscron, the team worked in complete artistic freedom to hack the material.

The designers speak: From flooring solutions to de-flooring installation

By taking away existing form and function, we take IVC Commercial flooring out of its existing context.

From flooring solutions to de-flooring solutions in every possible way: this was our starting point for the Hack the Material project. By using vinyl and carpet tiles in an unconventional way and translating the results into this installation, we want people to experience the material with a fresh perspective.

We let the visitor experience the material in a completely different way to create a conscious encounter with the material. The installation comes closer to our field of vision and plays on our senses.

We’ve achieved this new conscious encounter with flooring by using the reflection of light. The mirror lets you walk on your own reflection to make the notion of a floor disappear completely.

Wellbeing through biophilia

Design and wellbeing play a key role in the brand positioning of IVC Commercial, where the focus is on people as end users. So, it was important for us to translate the notion of wellbeing into our creation.

Biophilic design focuses on taking the emotional benefits of nature by integrating elements, shapes and textures into the interior environment to promote wellbeing and positivity. It’s proven that this helps people to be happier and healthier. To demonstrate this, we went in search of a way to integrate biophilic design without using the stereotypical, visual element of the flooring.

Pleated, natural structures

By transforming the material from a 2D to 3D structure by means of folding, we were able to grow organic and natural structures that bring a certain solidity. These folded structures form the basis of the installation: by playing with the radius of the folds, repetitions and heights, an organic whole is created that looks completely different from every angle.

The choice of colours is also a function of wellbeing. For example, in contrast with the colours on the inside of the installation the outside is a neutral white, arousing curiosity and removing as many external stimuli as possible before entering the installation.

On the inside you have the use of different natural shades and textures. Green is the symbol of new life; young, fresh and natural. We’ve also used the colour of the sea and sky, blue, to provide a feeling of depth and stability.