Space created from 1 million plastic cable ties

http://www.dezeen.com/2008/11/10/the-third-space-at-designers-saturday/

Reminds me of the movie Barbarella.   Certainly this is avant-garde, but I don’t see it as being practical actually.  It implies a leisure society free from the exigencies of production …

Material Database by RAW

http://www.materialdatabasen.se/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=29

This site offers a material database.  You input the material, or scale, or application, or other criteria and the site provides possible materials for your project.