Studio Aufschnitt hosted a networking event on material research in design as part of Berlin Design Week 2026. Our studio at Boxhagener Straße 32 in Berlin Friedrichshain became a place for exchange and encounters for one evening.
Materials research, natural fibers, circular economy, peatlands, and plant-based leather: these topics rarely make it to the big stage. But they have an impact precisely where change begins: in conversation, in listening, in thinking outside the box.
Five presentations, five perspectives, one common thread: How do new materials come into being? And what role does design play in this?
We invited scientists, artists and communicators who work at very different points along the textile value chain. People who work daily on the questions that will shape our industry over the coming decades. What's hidden inside the plant? What happens to textile waste? What does a material feel like that no one has encountered before? And what does a peatland have to do with design?
Five lectures on materials research in design
Patrick Engel (STFI Chemnitz): Nonwovens meet design
Patrick Engel, Head of the Nonwovens Competence Centre at the Saxony Textile Research Institute (STFI) in Chemnitz, opened the evening. STFI is an independent industrial research institution with a range of equipment unique in Europe – all nonwoven formation and consolidation processes under one roof. A large playground for material research. His talk used concrete examples to show how technical textile applications and design find each other – and why design work invites us to question established technologies and look at them from entirely new angles.
Dr.-Ing. Carsten Lühr (ATB Potsdam): Natural fibers from agricultural biomass
Dr.-Ing. Carsten Lühr from the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB Potsdam) posed one of the evening's most fundamental questions: what's actually inside the plant? His talk gave insights into the technological developments around the processing of natural fibres from agricultural biomass – from flax and hemp to wet meadow biomass and residual materials from entirely different production chains. From agricultural production to industrial application, covering a wide spectrum of fibre qualities, with one clear message: haptics and aesthetics play just as decisive a role today as technical requirements.
Morgan-Lee Wagner (revoltech): plant-based leather LOVR™
Morgan-Lee Wagner, Communications, Partnerships & PR at revoltech in Darmstadt, presented LOVR™ – a plant-based, plastic-free alternative to conventional leather. Not conceived as a niche product, but scalable and industrially applicable. Her talk circled around the question behind every new material: how does an idea become a real product? And why is it not enough for a material to merely sound innovative – it must also feel right, be applicable, and perform credibly in real products.
Hagar Napadow (Re:Fresh Global): Textile recycling with enzymes
Hagar Napadow, Project Manager at Re:Fresh Global, made clear just how large the problem is – and how concrete the solution can be. Less than 1% of the approximately 92 million tonnes of textile waste generated worldwide each year is currently recycled. Re:Fresh Global counters this with an enzymatic process that transforms mixed textile waste into two new raw materials: Re-SanPulp™ for nonwovens and textiles, and Re-Celloop™ for cosmetics and packaging. The licensable SmartUp™ System turns this into modular micro-factories – scalable, regionally deployable and job-creating. Her talk showed how design becomes a bridge between sustainability, industry and aesthetics.
Daniel Hengst (artist, Berlin): Moors cuddling
Daniel Hengst, The artist from Berlin closed the evening with the title that raised the most questions – and caused the most discussion: „"Cuddle the moors."“ Since 2019, he has been artistically exploring peatlands and peatland rewetting in VR works, light and sound installations, texts, and most recently, soft sculptures made from sustainable peatland materials. For centuries, peatlands were considered useless, were drained, and destroyed. Today, they are once again in focus as massive CO₂ emitters. Together with scientists, industry, and designers, Hengst is investigating the textile use of cattails—and asking how new forms of use can emerge that consider the needs of people, plants, and animals alike.
Sponsors of the evening
Voelkel From the Wendland region of Lower Saxony came the drinks – ginger shots, lemonades in matcha, cucumber and rhubarb, passion fruit and blackcurrant juices. Organic, colorful, refreshing. And gone before we knew it. A family business that has been committed to biodynamic farming for over 100 years – with the same passion as on day one.
The AMANN Group A company from Bönnigheim covered the printing costs and provided lanyards, notepads, pens, and chewing gum. Since 1854, they have been one of the world's leading manufacturers of sewing and embroidery threads – and a fixture at Silvia's studio for years. Her favorite tool: the small gauge with all the information on thread requirements for each stitch type.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation provided the peatland atlas and the meat atlas – fittingly, given Daniel Hengst's presentation and Silvia's passion for vegetarianism. Both are still available at the studio. Just drop by Boxhagener Straße and ask.
Studio Aufschnitt: 18 years and we're still going
For 18 years, Studio Aufschnitt has been a hub for niche topics that touch and change our society. These are topics along the textile value chain that rarely make it to the big stage – but they build bridges between science, design, and industry. We believe that those who understand how a material is created make different decisions.
If you enjoyed the lecture series: We're continuing! Our network allows us to develop a wide range of topics along the textile value chain: new speakers, new perspectives, new connections. This work requires time and intensive preparation. If you would like to support us financially, we would be very grateful for a donation.
Reference: Sustainability Account: Silvia Wald Bank details available on request
Thank you