====== Noémie Vinchon ======
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{{tag>person:role:designer person:affiliation:external person:focus:inflatable person:focus:co-design person:project:inflatable_units person:project:inflatable_cinema person:project:la_bulle}}


**Full name:** Noémie Vinchon  
**Role:** Designer — inflatable structures  
**Affiliation:** External / Partner of Mo Bil  
**Based in:** France  
**Interviewed by:** [[mobil:people:designers:yannick_roels|Yannick Roels]]  
**Interview date:** {{30/10/2025}}

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===== 🟢 Context =====
Noémie Vinchon is a designer trained in **applied arts** (France) and **eco-social design** at the Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes.  
Her work explores **lightness**, **mobility**, and **reuse** in public space through inflatable objects made from **industrial fall materials**.  
Her **Inflatable Units** (sausage, donuts, etc.) were later integrated into **Mo Bil** as adaptable tools for reclaiming and transforming shared spaces.

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===== 🟣 Design Philosophy =====
> “What I love about air is that you shape a membrane.  
> The fabric itself defines the form and its limits.” — *N.V.*

- Works with **elementary geometries** (circle, ring, cylinder) to create collective postures and interactions.  
- Uses **industrial protocols** (cut–fold–weld order, markings) to ensure quality and repeatability.  
- Advocates for **eco-social design**, relying on **local materials** and existing resources.  
- Sees inflatables as **tools of freedom**: portable, playful, and human-scaled.

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===== 🔧 Technical Process =====
**Software:** Rhino 3D (3D modeling + flattening patterns)  
**Materials:**  
  * **Polyurethane (PU)** membranes  
  * **Dacron** (nautical fabric — resistant, washable) for protective covers  
  * Industrial scraps, cords, straps  

**Equipment:**  
  * Hot-air and HF welders (outsourced where needed)  
  * Industrial sewing machine  
  * Adhesive valve patches  
  * Portable air pumps and blowers  

**Workflow:**  
1. 3D volume sketch → flattening patterns  
2. Add seam/solder allowances  
3. Mark before cutting  
4. Sew/weld membrane and cover  
5. Test prototypes **in real conditions** (festivals, public spaces)  

**Failures & lessons:** over-inflation → explosion → learning pressure limits.  
**Workshop trick:** pre-marking before cutting; always double-check joins.

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===== 💨 Air-Captured vs Air-Blown =====
**Air-captured (sealed / structural)**  
- More rigid; tension defines the shape  
- Acts as a **tool** to sit on, move, or lean against  
- Helps people **find their place** in public space  

**Air-blown (ventilated / scenographic)**  
- Softer form, shaped by sewing and pattern lines  
- Creates **immersive interiors** (light, shadows, wind visible)  
- Acts as a **scene or temporary architecture** for events  

**Formula:** *Air-captured = tool · Air-blown = stage.*

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===== 🎬 Key Mo Bil Projects =====

**→ Inflatable Units**  
Modular seats and play structures (sausage, donuts) for flexible use.  
→ [[mobil:assemblies:modules:inflatable:small_donut|Small Donut]]  
→ [[mobil:assemblies:modules:inflatable:sausage|Sausage]]  

**→ Inflatable Cinema**  
Combines both air-captured and air-blown systems for a stable projection screen.  
Large seamless surface; each setup is a “recipe” adapted to the projector used.  
→ [[mobil:assemblies:modules:inflatable:cinema|Inflatable Cinema]]

**→ La Bulle**  
A 14 × 6 m air-blown space — open, immersive, and luminous.  
External anchors, safe cable passages, collective sound/light use.  
→ [[mobil:assemblies:modules:inflatable:la_bulle|La Bulle]]

**→ Textile Add-ons**  
Protective shades and hammocks made from industrial fall materials.  
→ [[mobil:parts:textiles:large_hammoc|Large Hammock]]

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===== 🌍 Public Interaction =====
- People approach inflatables with **curiosity and hesitation**, then excitement once inside.  
- **Children** engage instantly; adults follow once they see it’s open to all.  
- Each deployment **transforms the atmosphere** of its site — from static square to playground.  
- Ongoing question: *how to design inflatables appealing to adults as well?*

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===== ⚙️ Maintenance & Iteration =====
- Full check every **6 months** (count, inspect, repair).  
- Explore **non-white Dacron**: still visible but less dirt-sensitive.  
- Improve **valves** and **straps** for durability.  
- Secure **local sourcing network** for reused materials.  

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===== 🤝 Collaboration =====
> “What the Mo Bil team gave me was trust — and the joy of working together.”  

- Found strong mutual support at Cultureghem’s “Abattoirs” workshops.  
- Collective learning environment: hands-on help, shared tools, spontaneous collaboration.  
- Introduced a **new inflatable vocabulary** into the Mo Bil ecosystem.

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===== 💬 Reflections =====
- Proud of expanding from air-captured to **air-blown architecture**.  
- Sees inflatables as a poetic way to **occupy and re-imagine** public space.  
- “Every time we deploy one, it transforms a site —  
  like a small miracle of appearance and disappearance.”  

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===== ✅ Next Steps =====
  * Develop v4 of the Inflatable Units (improved straps & fabric)  
  * Design safer **valve covers**  
  * Map **material-recovery partners**  
  * Formalize a **maintenance checklist**  
  * Experiment with **color variations** for new versions  

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===== 📜 Full Interview =====
→ [[mobil:people:designers:noemie_vinchon_interview|Full interview transcript with Noémie Vinchon (EN)]]

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===== 📸 Media =====
{{gallery>mobil:media:photos:people:noemie_vinchon?lightbox&titles}}

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===== 🔗 Related Wiki Pages =====
  * [[..:..:assemblies:modules:small_donut|Small Inflatable Donut]]
  * [[mobil:assemblies:modules:inflatable:cinema|Inflatable Cinema]]  
  * [[mobil:assemblies:modules:inflatable:la_bulle|La Bulle]]  
  * [[mobil:research:inflatable_tests|Research – Inflatable Tests]]

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**Last updated:** {{date}}  
**Author:** Noémie Vinchon (interview by Yannick Roels)  
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