Fantastic Elastic Flats

BMW used the groundbreaking elastic skin technology on a recent show car and believes it could pave the way for car manufacturing in the future. A team at BMW Group Design Munich created the 'GINA Light Visionary Model' car, which has a surface made of stretchy elastic fabric. Unlike conventional cars, which are made from sheet metal, the innovative surface is flexible, lighter than metal and uses far less energy to manufacture. It takes about two hours to stretch the skin over the concept car and the shape or colour of the vehicle can potentially be changed in just a few hours. The BMW team found that metal body panels are not essential to crash protection or car handling and this new surface allows the surfaces to change aesthetically for mass customisation.

Now, the commercial property industry is hoping that the new skin will be proved viable as a building material and researchers are initially testing it for use on a new cost-effective, low energy house design to be used in suburban neighbourhoods. Students at Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Architects RMJM are