VAC-PAC
As John Carl Flugel observed in his book The Psychology of Clothes “ Clothes, like the house, are protective; but, being nearer the body and actually supported on it, they are (unlike the house) portable. With their help we carry – like snails and tortoises- a sort of home upon our backs, and enjoy the advantages of shelter without the disadvantages of becoming sessile.” In a similar vein, Susan M. Watkins comments, “Clothing is our most intimate environment. What makes it a unique environment is that it is carried everywhere with an individual, creating its own room within a room and its own climate within the larger climate of our surroundings.”
vac-pac as portable shelter
vac-pac patterns
The vac pac is complete and completely functional. It is made out of Tyvek, a protective material that is traditionally used as a weather-resistant barrier wrap for homes and buildings, it helps combat wind, water, moisture and air infiltration. It is a traditional building practice that has been in use for over thirty years. The use of a material such as tyvek has a history that alleviates any notions of current trends, ornament, taste or personal expression- allowing the jackets to exist outside the world of fashion but because of their inherent mode of construction they simultaneously exist outside the realm of conventional building.
From vac-pac to inflated room
Project Date: 2004
Project Team: Virginia San Fratello, Ronald Rael