Studio Plott Combines Hands-On Textile Techniques With New Technologies

Can traditional textile techniques remain relevant in an everything-on-demand world? Design/fabricate duo Mireille Burger and Rudi Boiten embrace the quandry through Studio Plott, a workshop committed to replicating hands-on craftsmanship by way of hands-off technology. They began with One Yarn of Plastic, a test range of 3-D-printed fabrics. After custom-building a larger printer capable of producing surfaces up to 79 by 118 inches, the pair inaugurated the new machinery with the Open Rugs series. Patterns are printed in flexible thermoplastic and then coated in polyamide to boost tactility and softness. Varieties include interwoven Cross Twill, recurring Triangle, circular Knit-Knot, and lacy Botanic Flora. And since the studio specializes in customization, rugs can be specified in various scales, thicknesses, densities, transparencies, and colors.