WAVECORE SANDWICH PANEL

Originally developed at BioMat Studio, University of Stuttgart, as part of the Flexible Forms design studio (WS 2017/18) by Julian Karl, the Wavecore Sandwich Panel showcases how material flexibility can be harnessed to generate structural stability.

The waved core is made from BioFlexi, a flexible high-density fibreboard composed of up to 90% natural fibres from agricultural residues combined with bio-based polymers. While BioFlexi’s potential for free-form interior applications has already been proven, this project extends its use towards load-bearing applications.

In a sandwich configuration with stiff outer plates, the panel achieves high structural stability while remaining lightweight. The finger joints between the core and surface plates can be digitally fabricated via punching or laser cutting, enabling a highly adaptable, automated manufacturing process—even for curved sandwich panels.

Beyond structural performance, the soft and flexible core offers inherent noise reduction, making the Wavecore Sandwich Panel suitable for flooring systems, partition walls, and other lightweight architectural assemblies.