PORTFOLIO OF SELECTED WORKS RALPH ZÄHRINGER DESIGN

MATERIAL RESEARCH PRODUCT DESIGN VISUAL CONCEPTS

1. MATERIAL RESEARCH 2. PRODUCTS AND OBJECTS 3. ABOUT

Ralph Zähringer Charlottenburger Str. 32a 13086 Berlin Germany

F +49 (0) 157 77 29 12 16M mail@ralphzaehringer.deW www.ralphzaehringer.de

MATERIAL RESEARCH CERAMIC FoAM 2

PORCELAIN FOAM

MATERIAL RESEARCH CERAMIC FoAM 3

Ceramic Foam is a fascinating material characterized by its airiness, its open porous surface and cellular structure. By foaming the volume of the original ceramic material increases, generating structures that are lightweight as well as resilient. Foam structures can also be found in nature, like for instance pumice stone as a result of volcanic eruption. In the ceramic industry foam is normally created either by injecting a propellant or by burning out a polymer matrix. Both procedures are problematic due to high energy consumption and toxic emissions.

PORCELAIN FOAM is a newly developed ceramic foam that is based on an alterna-tive production method. The process is using the specific flowing and coalescen-ce properties of ceramic materials. Du-ring its expansion the mass is hardening by itself and can be burned without using additional heat. This process can be im-plemented regardless of an elaborate industrial setting and even does without chemical additives or high energy input.

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GRAPHIC PORCELAIN

MATERIAL RESEARCH PORCELAIN SURFACE STRUCTURES

5MATERIAL RESEARCH PORCELAIN SURFACE STRUCTURES

Patterns and structures are omnipresent in our life. They are gradually developed due to weather conditions or can be found in natural shapes and structures of di-verse organisms. At some point mankind started creating them artificially by hand or by technology. In the field of design patterns are mainly used for visual or de-corative application. But it really gets exciting when a pattern can support or extend the material properties as well.

GRAPHIC PORCELAIN is a unique new process of creating three-dimensional patterns on ceramic surfaces. With help of a stencil, a graphic pattern is genera-ted, creating an amorphous structure, exposing an open porous surface within. As if in a time lapse the pattern spreads into the porcelain, leaving it with vein like structures on the surface. Driven by chemical forces the structure follows a self-implemented logic. On a small and large scale, it generates a tension bet-ween the overall structure and the smaller structure within, our gaze following the defined shape to an amorphous character.

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NEW TACTILITy

MATERIAL RESEARCH TACTILE MATERIAL qUALITIES OF CITRUS BIOPOLyMERS

7MATERIAL RESEARCH TACTILE MATERIAL qUALITIES OF CITRUS BIOPOLyMERS

Overall, bio-plastics have great potential to replace conventional plastics, whereby their qualities lie above all in their sus-tainability and biodegradability, but also in their often special, nature-like haptics. In the case of bioplastics made from ci-trus peels, different pectins and other biopolymers ensure, for example, that films feel comparatively velvety. The bio-plastic patterns developed in the project consciously reinforce these properties and impressions, for example through special embossing or perforations.By highlighting, usually in everyday dis- appearing features, these surfaces create a subtle sensitivity for the material and its handling, thereby transferring their spe-cial value to the wrapped product, for ex-ample when used as packaging material.

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FOOTSTEPS ON MARS

PRODUCTS AND OBJECTS CERAMIC TILES

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A small step on Mars, a great step for mankind. The colonization of a foreign planet. Man as an interplanetary species.

Already today this idea seems to be al-most tangible. With the help of digital techniques, unattainable things become achievable. In the meantime, it is possible for us to accurately reproduce nature or »reality« and not just take it as a model and imitate it. Based on this principle, wall tiles with the surface structure of the planet Mars are created. The design is based on NASA’s 3D scans. Thereby the surface of Mars is digitally processed and used to design. The digital data is trans-ferred to tiles and can be produced in ceramic printing. Each individual tile de-monstrates this process and reflects the expanded design possibilities.

Tiles of Mars in a way. As if people had already set foot on Mars.

PRODUCTS AND OBJECTS CERAMIC TILES

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WORKSPACE

PRODUCTS AND OBJECTS FLExIBLE FURNITURE FOR WOKSPACES

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A flexible and open minded working en-vironment leads to creative teamwork. However it comes with a lot of challenges. Conventional separators create an iso-lated working atmosphere that restricts communication.

WORKSPACE combines separation with communication. A room divider made of stacked stools. It’s the structuring ele-ment that creates individual workplaces in the office. When coming together for brainstorming the walls can be torn down.

A working environment imposes high re-quirements on the material. EPP is light-weight, robust and resistant. WORKSPACE is the key element to crea-te an open, modern and flexible working environment.

PRODUCTS AND OBJECTS FLExIBLE FURNITURE FOR WOKSPACES

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RALPH ZÄHRINGER is a German designer.After studying the basics of engineering he studied Product- and Communication Design in Münster and Milan. After wor-king for Kai Linke and Marc Ulm in Frank-furt a.M. he currently studies Product De-sign in MA at the Weißensee KH Berlin.

Regarding design as an open task let him focus on concepts, process design and material research. He’s creating products and objects as well as posters, books and graphics.

ExHIBITIONSMUT ZUR WUT 2018, Finalist, Heidelberg 2018RUNDGANG, Weißensee KH Berlin 2018 VENTURA FUTURE, Milan Design Week, Milan 2018FORMNExT, Frankfurt a.M. 2017PARCOURS, Münster School of Design 2017WELTFORMAT 16-Poster Festival, Lucerne 2016USM 50 Rethink the Modular, Münster 2015

PUBLICATIONSDESIGN INNOVATIONS FOR CONTEMPORARy INTERIORS AND CIVIC ART, IGI Global Publications, Luciano Crespi, 2016TExTGESTALTEN. Fachhochschule Münster, Hrsg.: Harth, Otremba, Perraudin; 2016

F +49 (0) 157 77 29 12 16M mail@ralphzaehringer.deW www.ralphzaehringer.de

Ralph Zähringer Charlottenburger Str. 32a 13086 Berlin Germany

©Ralph Zähringer2018

ABOUT RALPH ZÄHRINGER