← Adaptive Systems
Research Program — Adaptive Interfaces for Human Flourishing

Vitis

Exploring the material conditions of adaptive environments.

How might material properties reduce environmental burden and create more supportive conditions for human experience?

A speculative material-research platform exploring how bio-derived, regenerative, and conventional materials might contribute to more human-compatible environments.

A research table — a sketchbook of material studies, brass and metal material chips, calipers, and a micrometer in warm light
Fig. 01 — The material layer is part of the interface

Material study — properties measured before provenance is assumed.

A behavioral truth

Every interface begins as a material encounter.

Before a person interprets information or responds to an intelligent system, the body is already encountering the physical world. Materials are often evaluated through technical performance, appearance, and price — their contribution to sensory and physiological experience may receive less attention.

The challenge may be understanding what the material environment is asking the body to tolerate.

The body is already encountering
temperature texture pressure moisture airflow sound reflection surface resistance weight odor light
Narrative
Sofia 38
Designer, caregiver, and outdoor enthusiast

“I spend all day interacting with intelligent systems. Very few of the physical environments around me feel equally considered.”

A chair retains heat. A synthetic fabric becomes uncomfortable as conditions change. A hard room amplifies sound. A surface that looks calming feels cold or abrasive.

Environmental intelligence often stops at the sensor while overlooking the material conditions surrounding the person.

Friction

Materials are often treated as the final shell placed around the system.

Innovation frequently prioritizes
software sensors algorithms automation visual interfaces data collection
Yet material choices can contribute to
Thermal discomfort
Moisture retention
Acoustic harshness
Tactile irritation
Glare
Maintenance burden
Off-gassing or odor concerns
Visual and sensory overstimulation
Environmental persistence
Disconnection between ecological and human needs
Desired state

Functional

Create material environments that support comfort, use, and changing conditions.

Emotional

Develop surroundings that feel considered, coherent, and less demanding.

Environmental

Explore material systems with more responsible sourcing, use, reuse, and end-of-life pathways.

Research insight

Materials do not need computation to shape experience. Their physical properties already influence heat transfer, moisture behavior, acoustic absorption, tactile experience, visual softness or glare, weight, perceived warmth, and aging.

Biomaterials introduce additional questions involving sourcing, variability, fabrication, decomposition, and ecological impact.

This led to a reframing

Before asking how an environment should respond, we should ask what conditions its materials already create.

The concept

A comparative investigation of material experience.

The project began with grape-waste leather alternatives and expanded into a broader study. Vitis does not assume a bio-derived material is automatically safer, more sustainable, or more comfortable — it asks how each performs across human and environmental criteria.

Potential materials
grape-derived composites agar-based films cork wool hemp linen cellulose composites mycelium-based agricultural-waste composites conventional benchmarks
Material Exploration 01 — grape-pomace biocomposite
Exploratory casting — small swatches

An agar & grape-waste film.

Formula
Water1 cup
Agar agar2 tsp
Vegetable glycerin1 tsp
Grape pomace / skins / plant fiber1–2 tbsp
Natural pigment — beet, turmeric, charcoal, spirulinaoptional
Process
01Combine water and agar; bring to a gentle boil, stirring continuously.
02Simmer 2–3 minutes until completely dissolved; remove from heat.
03Stir in glycerin, then any grape fiber or botanical material.
04Pour onto silicone, glass, or acrylic; spread evenly with a spatula.
05Cool completely, then air-dry 24–72 hours depending on thickness.
Tuning the formula
More flexibleIncrease glycerin to 1.5–2 tsp.
More leather-likeIncrease agar to 3 tsp; add plant fiber.
More translucentOmit fibers; use only agar + glycerin.
More paper-likeReduce glycerin; add cellulose pulp or shredded paper fiber.
Questions this swatch holds open
How does texture influence perceived comfort?
How does flexibility change over time?
What happens as the material ages?
Can biological materials contribute to restorative environments?

An exploratory biomaterial recipe — a design-research artifact, not a finished textile formula. Each swatch is a hypothesis to be measured against the framework below.

Evaluation framework

Materials considered across six dimensions.

01

Sensory Experience

Texture, softness, friction, sound, odor, visual character, and user preference.

02

Thermal & Moisture Behavior

Insulation, breathability, heat retention, moisture absorption, drying, and surface temperature.

03

Functional Performance

Strength, flexibility, abrasion resistance, cleanability, dimensional stability, and aging.

04

Human Compatibility

Irritation, allergen risk, chemical treatments, hygiene requirements, and suitability for context.

05

Environmental Reciprocity

Feedstock, manufacturing inputs, repairability, persistence, recyclability, biodegradation, and disposal.

06

Cultural & Emotional Meaning

Familiarity, perceived naturalness, care rituals, provenance, and the narratives materials carry.

Experimental questions
01How does texture influence perceived comfort and willingness to interact?
02Which properties shape perceived warmth or coolness?
03How do materials alter room acoustics?
04What happens to comfort as temperature and moisture change?
05Which materials create sensory relief, and for whom?
06When does a natural material become irritating or impractical?
07How do coatings and binders alter the benefits of bio-derived feedstocks?
08How do materials age through repeated use?
09Can a material support both human comfort and a credible environmental lifecycle?
10Which benefits can be measured, and which remain subjective?
Experience scenario — a day in materials
Morning

A workspace combines materials selected for acoustic absorption, tactile comfort, and thermal performance. The environment may feel quieter and less visually harsh.

The question is not whether materials appear natural — it is whether measurable acoustic conditions and user experience improve.

Afternoon

A wearable accessory uses a grape-derived composite with a breathable textile backing — evaluated for flexibility, heat retention, moisture, skin comfort, odor, durability, and repairability.

The biomaterial is not treated as inherently beneficial. It is treated as a design hypothesis.

Evening

A recovery space uses materials selected for surface warmth, sound absorption, cleanability, and sensory predictability. No new digital interface is required.

The material composition changes the baseline quality of the environment.

Design principles

Properties before provenance.

01

Properties Before Provenance

Evaluate what the material does — not only where it came from.

02

Compatibility Before Novelty

A novel biomaterial has little value if it creates discomfort, contamination, or rapid failure.

03

Passive Conditions Before Active Correction

Improve the baseline environment before adding sensors and automation.

04

Human and Ecological Criteria Together

Do not solve human comfort by creating an indefensible environmental lifecycle — or vice versa.

05

Comparison Over Assumption

Test emerging materials against relevant conventional benchmarks.

06

Claims Follow Evidence

Do not equate “bio-based,” “natural,” “biodegradable,” or “regenerative” with proven health or sustainability benefits.

Evidence & why now
Evidence level Exploratory material-research platform

Vitis is grounded in established knowledge about material properties, environmental comfort, sensory experience, biomaterials, and lifecycle design. The specific materials and integrated applications remain conceptual or early-stage unless individual prototypes have been fabricated and tested.

Claims regarding stress reduction, physiological regulation, biological compatibility, or improved wellbeing would require defined materials, comparison conditions, and empirical evaluation.

Future material studies could measure
surface temperature thermal conductivity moisture absorption acoustic absorption tensile & tear strength abrasion resistance cleanability odor retention skin irritation perceived comfort aging over use repair potential lifecycle impacts degradation under disposal

The aim is not to find one universally “good” material. It is to understand which material systems create better conditions for specific people and contexts.

Why now — 01

Material Innovation Is Accelerating

Agricultural waste, cellulose systems, mycelium, and new composites expand the material palette.

Why now — 02

Claims Require Greater Scrutiny

Novel feedstocks do not automatically produce lower-impact or healthier products.

Why now — 03

Human Experience Re-enters Design

Comfort, acoustics, thermal conditions, and material perception are recognized as central concerns.

Why now — 04

Adaptive Systems Need a Physical Layer

Intelligent environments still depend on the surfaces, structures, and fabrics through which adaptation is experienced.

Future hypothesis

Material selection and construction may reduce certain thermal, acoustic, tactile, and sensory demands before digital adaptation is required.

The research proposition is not that biomaterials regulate the nervous system.

It is that physical properties shape the conditions through which comfort, attention, and recovery are experienced.

What I learned

Most adaptive systems begin with information. But every system eventually becomes physical.

It becomes a surface. A textile. A room. An object. A point of contact.

Before an algorithm interprets a signal or an environment changes state, the body is already encountering the material world.

The material layer is not decoration around the interface. It is part of the interface.

Connection to a larger body of work

Each investigates a shared question: what happens when the surrounding interface carries more of the burden of adaptation?

Explore Adaptive Systems Explore Field Sleeve Work With Christine →