U7 Carapace Drawing Workshop

An afternoon drawing workshop to develop the Carapace material system at 1:1.

Rope Crochet | Sonia Ho

Tessellated Casts | Julian Siravo

Paper Honeycomb | Frances Lu

Kerfing Hardwood | Kate Slattery

Re-healable Concrete

Experimental concrete that patches up cracks by itself is to undergo outdoor testing.

The concrete contains limestone-producing bacteria, which are activated by corrosive rainwater working its way into the structure.

The new material could potentially increase the service life of the concrete - with considerable cost savings as a result.

The work is taking place at Delft Technical University, the Netherlands.
It is the brainchild of microbiologist Henk Jonkers and concrete technologist Eric Schlangen. 

If all goes well, Dr Jonkers says they could start the process of commercialising the system in 2-3 years.

FABRIKKAAT

FABRIKAAT is an exhibition at Ventura Lambrate 2012 investigating the re-emerging role of the garden through a “research through making” approach to design and craft. In a digitally saturated world, this body of work celebrates and promotes research, ideas and the nuances of making by hand.
The work exhibited was made during an intensive three-month thematic design studio with integrated seminar and media courses, by students in the Master of Interior Architecture & Retail Design program at the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The spirit of FABRIKAAT became an integral part of the culture, programming and deployment of the courses during this period.

 

Read more here

 

woven leather akob lamp by tjiang supertini

'akob' lamp by tjiang supertini


the 'akob' lamp is produced using the ancient indonesian basket weaving technique. conceived by tjiang supertini,
the lighting design is made from leather strips that are laser cut into specific widths and lengths to ensure weaving consistency,
combining the traditional craft with more contemporary means of production.

each object is made by hand using a slot-joint system which is woven around a sort of mould, which is then boiled in water,
shrinking the material around this structure in order to shape the leather into the desired form. 'akob' is then left to dry
for two-three days in order to achieve structural elegance at which point it is released and finished for use.

'akob' lamp was realized as part of the 'VS' project hosted by furniture manufacturer air division in collaboration with one of
singapore's design institutions, nangyang academy of fine arts, which offers young creatives to establish themselves in the
furniture market through different partnerships and initiatives.



the lamp is made hand woven using a slot-joint system


from left to right: laser cutting, slotting joint detail, and boiling the form in water

From Designboom

Pan Yi Cheng - Herman Miller Shop Design

World Architecture Festival 2012: Pan Yi Cheng of Singapore studio P.A.C won the award in the retail category at the World Architecture Festival with his design for a shop for furniture brand Herman Miller.



The architect designed an undulating lattice of plywood that folds up around Herman Miller furniture at an XTRA homeware store in Singapore. He describes how he was inspired by the construction of the chairs on show to create a system of modular pieces that are “joined together with a simple, interlocking lapping joint.”



From Dezeen - full article and interview here

Information is Beautiful

Check out the longlist for the Information is Beautiful Awards for timeline design references.

Doctor Who Timeline image: wiredUK

And books by David McCandless data journalist and information designer - Infomation is Beautiful and the Visual Miscellaneum.

Could be interesting to get involved...

Take a look

Water Light Graffiti Installation | Antonin Fourneau Sustainably Leaving a Mark on the City

During his residency at the Digitalarti Artlab in Paris, Antonin Fourneau realized a spectacular and poetic installation that manages to surprise and engage the passer-by in a refreshing way. With his Water Light Graffiti project, the French artist built an LED-based surface that reacts to water, creating light patterns and effects that allow anybody to create fascinating paintings on the street.

Installed in Poitiers in July, the wall was met with great enthusiasm by people of all ages, tapping into that kind of playful interaction only great public art can unlock. Apart from the sheer awe inspired by the possibility of painting with light, it is worth mentioning that – while allowing anybody to express themselves in a public space – with its natural graffiti approach, the work maintains a sustainable impact on the environment in which it sits.

This work is reminiscent of other remarkable endeavours with comparable effects – albeit utilizing different technology – like the famous light projections by Graffiti Research Lab and eco-friendly ad agency Green Graffiti.

Photos courtesy Antonin Fourneau.

Peoples Meeting Dome | Kristoffer Tejlgaard & Benny Jepsen

Canadian architects Kristoffer Tejlgaard and Benny Jepsen have slightly altered the mathematical elements of a geodesic dome to form a new modular pavilion.
To generate ideas for future housing, the architects adapting the triangular composition of a standard dome to enclose a kitchen, bar, dining area and stage for a temporary installation.
By using different sized triangular frames with both spherical and perpendicular surfaces, a new lattice form was birthed from that of a traditional geodesic dome. The result is a method of construction that allows surfaces to be extruded, scaled, pushed and pulled while maintaining logic.
Through this altered composition, small niches and crevices opened. Custom-made steel footings connect the wooden frame, made of locally-sourced pine. Steel nodes were made to fit standard rafter sizes of 2x4 and 3x6 inch timber, making the whole design movable and adaptable.
The façade's curved surfaces are covered with recycled wood panels, creating opaque faces. Perpendicular surfaces made of PVC film allow light to enter while opening views to the outside. The project was commissioned by BL (Denmark Public Housing) for the Peoples Meeting in Denmark.
Photos courtesy of Kristoffer Tejlgaard & Benny Jepsen.

BIM!

Bim Burton is our very own Bim who works in the Bartlett workshop. I came across this blog that one of his children has made about his projects. Bim is quite often working on his own commissions downstairs, last year I found him making more of these stools below. Feel free to bug him, he has some great stories!

Workshop 1: Trestle

Reference: ‘The Art of Japanese Joinery’ – Kiyosi Seike [Published by Weatherhill 1996]

In this 24 hour design and make exercise you will be introduced to timber jointing techniques and will be asked to work in initially in pairs to reproduce half each of a pre-selected joint. Photographs of the joint types will act as a guide and it is essential that the joints are tight and require no glue or fixings.

You will then individually design and make a Trestle.

Definition: ‘A framework in the form of a horizontal member supported at each end by a pair of splayed legs, used to carry scaffold boards, a table top etc.’ New Collins Dictionary

The Trestle can draw upon any of the jointing systems either made or inspired by those illustrated in ‘The Art of Japanese Joinery’. This design charette also calls for adaptation of the techniques you have learnt and also invention within a short period of time.

You will each be issued with one length of 50x50mm PAR (planed all round) softwood from which you are to make a Trestle that is 450mm high and capable of supporting a timber bench-top or table-top.

We advise that you do some research on types of Trestle before the session but use the workshop time to design, develop and refine details.

 Sammai-Gumi | Adapted open slot mortice and tenon joints by SH

Ai-Gaki | Adapted cross lap joint (centre) by XZ

Kashigi-Oire | Adapted notched mortice and tenon joints by JS

Kashigi-Oire | Notched mortice and tenon joints by KS and PN

Hira-Hozo | Adapted  mortice and tenon joints by FL

Moss & Co. Timber

Just added to the sidebar on the right, are Moss & Co. Timber: A timber merchants in Hammersmith with reasonable pricing and a student discount. Their website is also very useful for starting out in researching different types of timber, as there are photographs of the timber's colouring, and grain, a description of the types of crafting process best suited to each timber, and its general applications.



They have a comprehensive catalogue which can be downloaded, and they also have a price list indicative of what kind of price you will need to be paying for their wares. The staff are very friendly and it is good practice to take a cutting list and/or drawing with you to the yard as they will be interested in the project you are undertaking, and how best they can suit your needs.

Scatterings | CITA

Scatterings A research project by CITA (conducted as part of the PhD research by Jacob Riiber )The project Scatterings explores how the principles of self-organizing systems can be applied as a means to distribute component based material structures. This is hypothesized to allow architecture access to a novel non-linear complexity permitting a more adaptive and reactive design space.
The project departs from a conceptual framework addressing the idea of composite materials; here specifically the idea of combining individual sheets of acrylic plate material by casting them inside a frame of silicone rubber. These components where within the project distributed within a bespoke digital design space in two steps. Firstly, components where distributed as a 2 dimensional diagrammatic agent based system in which different kinds of relationshipsbetween components where formed. Secondly,as a 3 dimensional simulation determining the behavior of self-organizing structure under gravity. The initial distribution was prepare for this simulation by distributing the components onto a circular area on which the placement of folding and pulling operations would naturally force the structure out of its 2 dimensionality.
The project was finalized as a 1:1 demonstrator as part of an exhibition for DAC (Danish Architecture Center), where a structure consisting of several hundred individually cast elements occupied a vertical space within the building. In this context the individual components where developed with colored acrylic plates in order to apply functionality to the structure inspired by the concept of stained glass windows:coloring the exhibition space by projecting light through the structure. Placing the system within a concrete context like this allowed us to examine the accuracy of the simulation and the possibilities, as well as potential disadvantages, of using an agent based approach to design.

Team:Jacob Riiber Andrius VilcinskasMartin TamkeHenrik Leander EversMalene HvidtHans BærholmKristjana Sigurdardottir

Toby Ziegler 'The Cripples' Exhibition

 


 

"The only light down in the depths of the car park is cast from Ziegler’s enormous light boxes displaying an image taken from an old Piero della Francesca fresco, which cast dim light on to his mesmerising Bruegel-inspired Cripples Sculptures."


 

The Cripples runs until 20 October at Q-PARK, 3-9 Old Burlington Street, W1S 3AF.

From It's Nice That

Atelier One Engineers to Visit U7 Studio

Luis Fernandez and Chris Matthews from Atelier One Engineers are to visit U7 studio on 1st November to introduce some of their award winning projects.

Gardens By the Bay | Singapore | World Building of the Year 2012 | Image: Atelier One

Olympic Opening Ceremony | London 2012 | Image: Atelier One

yet/matilde: continuous function

continuous function by yet/matilde


Torino-based design studio yet/matilde have sent designboom images of their latest project 'continuous function'. Through an expressive and technological investigation path exploring the three-dimensional potential of textiles, the series exploits the use of fashion's material properties. Going beyond the traditional discontinuity differentiations of elements and processes in a product, the project expresses and creates a new relation with space with unconventional elements and production methods.

The pieces of furniture are created using different layers of jute, kept together by epoxy resin which are painted on every layer. the external part of the object is first made to create the outline, then internal additions give strength to the piece creating holes and pockets which can be used to temporarily store other objects.



material process detail



fibre detail



manufacturing process



sketches

From  designboom

U7 to tour Fritz Hansen Furniture Production Facility

Press Moulding Image: Fritz Hansen

A guided tour of Fritz Hansen's furniture production facilities has been arranged for U7's trip to Copenhagen in November.