In Conversation with WINT Design Lab

We are WINT, an industrial design and research lab founded by Felix Rasehorn and Robin Hoske. In our Berlin-based studio, we explore the design space of innovative and sustainable materials, bio-based production, and hybrid tools for local manufacturing. Our work is research-oriented but, at the same time, consists of a visionary and intrinsically optimistic core.

We met during our studies at Weißensee School of Arts in Berlin and have been working for 5 years together in our studio practice.

Starting in 2020, I had the chance to be part of a collaborative research project, collaborating with biologists, material scientists, and architects. We were all interested in the convergent biological motive of tessellation. Biology-informed tiling principles are under-explored in design, therefore, I was interested in developing a direct link between parametric design of tessellated patterns and manufacturing. In the studio, we had already experimented with CNC-controlled air-tight membranes. This production method echoed the growth of tessellated systems in biology and was worth exploring.

Tiling in nature is often a strategy for both protection and support. With this research, we explore how lamination can create dynamic, and adaptable but protective structures that can be activated through inflation. We investigated a digitally controlled welding process that allows for the creation of customized inflatable structures guided by parametric pattern designs.

Traditional support and packaging systems are typically single-use and fail to accommodate individual shapes, relying on rigid, stationary machines that limit processing and automation possibilities. We were interested in the potential of customization in this field by integrating protection and aesthetics into a single system. The modularity of air channels allows for adjustments based on load-bearing and cushioning needs without excessive material waste. Digital control over welding and inflation enables customization at different levels, from small protective casings to large structural applications.

Regarding circularity, this method inherently reduces material consumption by minimizing additional fillers and rigid casings, making reuse and material recovery more feasible—particularly when paired with biodegradable or recyclable membranes. Going beyond circular packaging, this concept has the potential to integrate support structures directly into products, making packaging and structure inseparable through intelligent inflation patterns and air channel systems.

It is true, to observe a pneumatic movement has something magical. It is that pneumatics reveal the diverse potentials of the air around us. Under the right conditions, air can stabilize, support, insulate, cool, warm, protect, destroy, and even transport. The way we layer, channel, or compress air, directly visualizes in the moment of inflating. The key lies in designing a system that enables air to behave in the way we want it to, but even more so when the pneumatics shape is unexpected, inspiring us to envision something new.

Our fascination with structures activated by inflation stems from the way nature inherently uses similar principles in its growth and adaptation. In biological systems, membranes act as flexible, responsive layers that adapt to external and internal forces. By using air as an actuator, we can mimic this natural behavior—structures no longer need to be rigid or pre-determined, but instead, they evolve and respond dynamically to their environment.

In this approach, the membrane serves as both a boundary and a mechanism for transformation. When inflated, it activates the shape and function of the structure, enabling it to expand, contract, or shift in response to internal and external conditions. This provides a level of flexibility and adaptability that rigid systems can’t achieve. The design process becomes less about creating fixed forms and more about understanding how the system behaves when activated by forces such as air pressure or tension. As Frei Otto said:

“Die Form wird nicht erschaffen, sondern experimentell ermittelt, denn sie ist zuallererst Ausdruck herrschender statischer Kräfte und ergibt sich als Reaktion auf diese“ (Frei Otto)

We like to be inspired and informed by nature, at the same time we know that it is impossible to rebuild or replicate biological mechanisms. In this research the focus of our explorations lies on the exploration of pattern and pneumatics, therefore we searched for a material that allows us to create air-tight channels through heat welding. In other projects, we looked into the field of bio-production and bio-based feedstocks. We hope that in the future it will be possible to rely on these rather new materials for generating pneumatic structures.

Pneumatic structures capture the notion of dematerialized designs. Since the 1950s, architects and engineers have utilized air in lightweight constructions as a form of resource-efficient building material. By inflating membranes or fabrics, we can create lightweight structures that achieve a balance between load-bearing and self-weight that could result in resource efficiency, circular building principles or adaptive products. The core motivation for applying pneumatic designs will remain their visual and formal aspects, while functional and efficiency-driven aspects can and will be optimized in the future.

Looking five years ahead, we believe one of the core challenges for designers will be managing the increasing complexity of design itself, especially as boundaries between disciplines continue to blur. As we address interconnected global challenges, sustainability will become an even more complex web of systems that require thoughtful navigation. Designers will need to have a deeper understanding of the long-term impacts of their choices, particularly concerning the materials we use and how they affect the environment. At the same time the gap between what designers want to work on and what the industry wants designers to work on is growing larger. To bridge this gap the industry relies on examples of brave innovators that are eager to rush ahead based on their interest and expertise. The appreciation of these entities and their contribution to the evolution of industry sectors can be relevant.

We much appreciated the bi-directional inspiration between the physical samples and the digital simulation of pneumatic structures. The unexpected deformations generated by digital simulations offered new angles for the exploration in structure and function. Another key insight was the moment of contextualization when material samples were challenged by functional requirements to showcase application areas. The simultaneous process of imagining, testing, and visualizing has a powerful effect — revealing pathways and form findings that otherwise remain hidden.

“Stupsi explains the tree” by Claus Mattheck

This children’s book explains the structural intelligence of tree growth in a way that is accessible to all. Mattheck, a material scientist and specialist in failure analysis, draws on his extensive career to present an approach that is both simple and widely applicable. Learning from nature can never start too early, and we would love to see more books like this on a variety of topics!

We hope for a future where the economy and ecology are in balance, allowing us to fully realize and appreciate the potential of what we can create.