Future materials research

The future materials research cluster is engaged in research aligned with the materials revolution occurring in the 21st century, driven by new technologies and scientific discoveries, concern about human impacts on the environment and new theoretical perspectives on materialism.

Researchers in the cluster engage across a dynamic field of interdisciplinary, technological and creative inquiry, and enable unique opportunities for developing new materials, sustainable processes, innovative applications, collaboration and extended discourse. The scope of materials studies is expanding to include a wide array of new materials including polymers, electronic materials, biomaterials, engineering materials, computational materials and nano-materials, and an awareness of interconnection with the lifeworld through material flows and systems.

Specific topics and areas of inquiry may include bioplastics, digital materiality, smart materials, new materialism, making manufacturing technologies, recycling, architectural textiles, material science, and circular or sustainable construction supply chains.

Prior successful funding included:

  • AUT Strategic Research Investment Fund. $200,000 for the project E-Textiles for Health: An Embodied Interactive Design Approach. 2015. Chief investigator Professor Frances Joseph.
  • MBIE Unlocking Curious Minds Funding. $19,000 for the New Horizons Project to support STEM workshops including e-textiles and 3D printing. 2015.  Associate Professor Sergiy Klimchuk and Professor Frances Joseph.
  • IMF Fund. Expanding Knit Dimensions: Research to support the development of new knit design and technology applications.  RSNZ 2011/12. Lead applicant Frances Joseph.
  • Growth and Innovation Fund (GIF). $1,600,000 from the Tertiary Education Commission for Enhancing New Zealand Fashion and Textile Design Capability: value creation through technological and design innovation to establish the Textile and Design Laboratory at AUT. 2006. Chief investigator Professor Frances Joseph.
  • Dhifaf Al-Ameedi, PhD. Predicting the Mechanical Behaviour of Smart Knitted Textiles. Supervisors: Dr Andrew Lowe and Professor Frances Joseph
  • Mitali Nautiyal, PhD. Exploring and developing an environmental sustainability index for knitted apparel products in New Zealand. Supervisors: Dr Amabel Hunting and Professor Frances Joseph
  • Leona Wang, PhD. The development of encoded fabric through experimental with modern technology and endangered heritage crafts. Supervisors: Dr Donna Cleveland and Professor Frances Joseph
  • Aleksandra Novikova, PhD. The Development of Functional/Ergonomic Rock Climbing Clothes for Different Climate Zones and Evaluation of the Integration of Smart Sensing Technology. Supervisors: Professor Frances Joseph and Dr Donna Cleveland
  • Steve Rood, PhD. The Shadow Machine: Photographic practice as the performance of democratic objects. Supervisors: Professor Frances Joseph and Dr James Charlton
  • Katarina Markovic, PhD. New Forms of Digital Representation of Historical Museum Artifacts and their Role in Providing Experiential Learning and Participatory Knowledge Construction. Supervisors: Dr James Charlton and Professor Frances Joseph
  • Claudine Nalesu, Master of Creative Technologies. Exploring biomaterials as a method to create eco-friendly sustainable art installations. Supervisors: Professor Frances Joseph and Dr Donna Cleveland
  • Charles Johnson, Master of Creative Technologies. Exploring techno-biological hacking in art installation. Supervisors: Dr Clinton Watkins and Professor Frances Joseph
  • Kate Whittaker, Master of Creative Technologies. Materialising the imagination: an exploration of sensing through textiles, tactility and textility. Supervisors: Dr Donna Cleveland and Professor Frances Joseph
  • Cleveland, D. (2020). Transformational cloth. In Our Zero Waste World Digital Summit. Auckland: Zero Waste Network. Retrieved from https://www.summit.zerowaste.co.nz/donna-cleveland
  • Collings, D., & Cleveland, D. (2020). The cost of colour. In Our Zero Waster World Digital Summit. Auckland: Zero Waste Network. Retrieved from https://www.summit.zerowaste.co.nz/daniel-collings
  • Joseph, F., & Smitheram, M. (2019). Phenomenal Dress: Material Aesthetic Collaborations (No. Of Pieces: 6 works) [Artefact]. Estonia Academy of Arts, Estonia: EKSIG 2018 Conference Comittee. Retrieved from http://www.eksig2019.com/
  • Joseph, F., & Smitheram, M. (2019). Critical materialities of textiles and ecology (No. Of Pieces: 4 days, 10 artifacts) [Artefact]. Loughborough University in London: Textile Design Research Group. Retrieved from http://www.textile-intersections.com/exhibition/#page-content
  • Smitheram, M., & Joseph, F. (2020). Material-aesthetic collaborations: making-with the ecosystem. CoDesign, 1-18. doi:10.1080/15710882.2020.1841796
  • Smitheram, M., & Joseph, F. (2019). Collaborative ecologies through material entanglements. In N. Nimkulrat, K. Kuusk, J. V. Noronha, C. Groth, & O. Tomico (Eds.), Conference Proceedings of International Conference 2019 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG 2019) Vol. Knowing Together: Experiential Knowledge and Collaboration (pp. 71-86). Tallinn: Estonian Academy of Arts. Retrieved from http://www.eksig2019.com/proceedings/
  • Joseph, F., Smitheram, M., Cleveland, D., Stephen, C., & Fisher, H. (2017). Digital materiality, embodied practices and fashionable interactions in the design of soft wearable technologies. International Journal of Design, 11(3). Retrieved from http://www.ijdesign.org/
  • Whittaker, K., & Cleveland, D. (2020). Create, make, zero waste. In Our Zero Waste World Digital Summit. Auckland: Zero Waste Network. Retrieved from https://www.summit.zerowaste.co.nz/kate-whittaker
  • Cleveland, D. (2020). Making metamorphic materials. [Artefact]. National Wool Museum, Arts & Culture, Geelong, Victoria, Australia: National Wool Museum, Geelong, Victorian Government, Australia. Retrieved from https://www.geelongaustralia.com.au/nwm/article/item/8d748c0a0f698f8.aspx
  • Cleveland, D. (2019). Redirecting textile knowledge; an innovative approach to recycling. In N. Nimkulrat, K. Kuusk, J. Valle Noronha, C. Groth, & O. Tomico (Eds.), Conference Proceedings of International Conference 2019 of the DRS Special Interest Group on Experiential Knowledge (EKSIG 2019) Vol. Knowing Together: Experiential Knowledge and Collaboration (pp. 114-126). Tallinn: Estonian Academy of Arts. Retrieved from http://www.eksig2019.com/proceedings/
  • Cleveland, D. (2019). Transformation cloth: sensing environmental change. [Artefact]. Real Jardín Botánico Alfonso xiii, Madrid, Spain: World Textile Art Organization. Retrieved from https://madrid2019.wta-online.org/
  • Jin, L. J., Mohd Yunus, N. Z., Hezmi, M. A., Rashid, A. S. A., Marto, A., Kalatehjari, R., . . . Ganiyu, A. A. (2018). Predicting the Effective Depth of Soil Stabilization for Marine Clay Treated by Biomass Silica. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 22(11). doi:10.1007/s12205-018-1294-x
  • Hajihassani, M., Marto, A., Khezri, N., & Kalatehjari, R. (2015). Indirect measure of thermal conductivity of rocks through adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and multivariate regression analysis. Measurement: Journal of the International Measurement Confederation, 67. doi:10.1016/j.measurement.2015.02.009
  • Abad, S. V. A. N. K., Mohamad, E. T., Komoo, I., & Kalatehjari, R. (2015). Assessment of weathering effects on rock mass structure. Jurnal Teknologi, 72(1), 71-75. doi:10.11113/jt.v72.2875
  • Rashid, A. S. A., Kalatehjari, R., Noor, N. M., Yaacob, H., Moayedi, H., & Sing, L. K. (2014). Relationship between liquidity index and stabilized strength of local subgrade materials in a tropical area. Measurement: Journal of the International Measurement Confederation, 55. doi:10.1016/j.measurement.2014.05.018
  • Kholghifard, M., Ahmad, K., Ali, N., Kassim, A., Kalatehjari, R., & Babakanpour, F. (2014). Temperature effect on compression and collapsibility of residual granitic soil. Gradjevinar, 66(3). doi:10.14256/JCE.947.2013
  • Atabaki, M. M., Kalatehjari, R., & Jafari, S. (2012). Optimization of abrasive wear behavior of high chromium cast iron and hadfield steel. Recent Patents on Mechanical Engineering, 5(2), 113-128.
  • Biomaterials and additive manufacturing (Dr Roo Kalatehjari, Luca Ribeiro, Professor Frances Joseph, Dr Donna Cleveland)
  • Materials testing technologies at AUT - identifying capability for future collaboration (Dr Sherif Beskhyroun, Professor Frances Joseph, Luca Ribeiro)
  • Material science, material culture and new materialism – Bringing different disciplinary lenses to future materials research (Professor Frances Joseph and Associate Professor Ann Morrison)
  • Mapping the New Zealand Wool Innovation Ecosystem (Professor Frances Joseph, Dr Andrew Burgess, external partners)

Researchers involved

Contact us

Professor Frances Joseph
frances.joseph@aut.ac.nz

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