Taking Models From History

The Alchemists Dressing Table: Lauren Davis

I was most interested by 'The Alchemists Dressing Table' by RCA graduate Lauren Davis- tools to produce natural cosmetics at home.

This product looks at taking examples from history. In ancient egypt castor oil, sesame oil and moringa oil were applied to the skin as an anti wrinkle solution. Facial makeup included red ochre to stain the lips and cheeks; this product was derived from a rouge clay that was dried or burned. The plant henna was used for nail painting and hair dye, a cosmetic still widely seen today. Alongside these were probably the most well known, eye liners, made from black galena, a lead based substance which was applied to the eyes in an almond shape with sticks. This was to resemble the eye of the God Horus to protect them from evil spirits and prevent eye diseases. 

In a similar way Lauren Davis has taken this image of alchemy in cosmetics and shown this through the materials used; copper and woods, alluding to the past.  

Copper & Maple Wood- traditional and folkloric symbolism 

Cork- used for insulation

Borosilicate Glass- Heat resistance 

Stainless Steel- Strength 

In my own work I also wish to look at materials from history and use those in my project to symbolise a certain time. 

My project looks at the 18th-19th Century naval ships, as my site is the old Greenwich hospital for naval pensioners. In this time brass was used often on ships due to its malleability and availability during the industrial revolution. As the site I am using is made up of mainly concrete and stone I hope to juxtapose those materials with brass, in a similar way that lauren did with copper. 

References 

Bell, T. (Unkown). The History of Brass. Available: http://metals.about.com/od/properties/a/The-History-Of-Brass.htm. Last accessed 10th Jan 2014.

Davis, L. (Unknown). The Alchemist's Dressing Table. Available: http://www.heka-lab.com/THE-ALCHEMIST-S-DRESSING-TABLE. Last accessed: 9th Jan 2014.

Wikipedia. (2013). Beauty and cosmetics in ancient Egypt. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty_and_cosmetics_in_ancient_Egypt. Last accessed 10th Jan 2014.

Is My Project Sustainable?

The main TED 10 that fitted with my project was 6. Design that takes models from history and nature. 

This was because my project is based around history and an existing site; looking at the materials for my installation that were used on board 19th Century ships as well as the existing materials on site. Understanding their durability and how they made things then would be helpful in thinking about my production.

Form Follows Function

"Working out problems first, and then thinking about how we can change them for the better"

I wish to design to change the world for the better. 

For meaning. For purpose. For people. 

The lecture given this week spoke about design thinking, designing management and systems. I liked that, it meant problems were being found and solved. When we are taught about good design, form follows function, otherwise you would have a beautiful bedroom that doesn't have room for a bed. 

The quote at the top of the page was given by the lecturer, someone who wasn't a designer, talking about how she designs. I agreed with her comment, why build something that doesn't serve a purpose or solve a problem or help people. Surely that is much more ethical design?

We were introduced to a company called IDEO. Their role as designers are to change companies containing staff who aren't designers, for the better though teaching them creative strategies. Working through the problems with designers who have other ideas and ways of thinking. 

In Architecture there is quite a famous example of what happens when form doesn't follow function; when an architect is so obsessed with the aesthetic of the building they forget about the purpose. Zaha Hadid's first build in 1993 was the Vitra Fire Station in Germany, a beautiful linear design with concrete. When it came to opening the build and the engines to pull out, a design floor came into appearance when the engines struggled to get out of the building at a proper speed. With this failure another fire station was built and now the building is used as a museum. 

Posing the point, it may be beautiful, but if it doesn't work, well what a waste. 

In my current project I am creating a large fish eye lens, that when looked through is positioned so that you can view the site from the eyes of a pensioner that once sat there. It is supposed to create a painting like effect to allude back to the history of the site. In keeping with the theme of this post, when designing the size and shape of my lens I research the dimensions so that it will work, not even thinking about its aesthetic, as it's aesthetic can be thought about through choice materials. Its position is not where the installation will look best but to show the view that is appropriate. 

A Model of my fish eye lens and a picture to show what is seen when looked through

References

Ideo. (2014). About IDEO. Available: http://www.ideo.com/about/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Unknown. (Unkown ). Failure, Change, Adaption. Available: http://stendhalsyndrome.tumblr.com/post/128378612/failure-change-adaptation. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Emotionally Durable?

Emotionally durable design.
How can my interior design project be emotionally durable?
A bag that has been passed down, or you would like to keep your whole life and then pass down, due to the quality of the material or designer is emotionally durable. But I'm not designing a product.

I understand how it could be an emotional experience, as my project is based in Greenwich around the royal naval college focusing on the role of the sailors whilst they were away- taking into focus past experiences, war, loss and gaining power.

The materials could be durable. Possibly looking at materials around the site itself that have survived until now. Stone, concrete, metal. Or research the types of metal, concrete and timber used on the boats. Then people could make a connection between the materiality and the meaning.

Would this then make it emotionally durable?
Would when the time comes to take my installation down, someone want to take it home with them?

--------------------

Sugru

Repair it yourself. Instead of throwing something away and buying another, this invention provides you with a means of simply fixing it yourself with little effort. Sugru also has a website in which you can post photos to show how you have used the product.
So, how is this emotionally durable?
By stopping you from throwing things away and providing a simple solution to your breakage you have more ownership over the product, you feel more of an attachment to it as you have put your mark upon it.

So in relation to my project, when people have more ownership over something they wish to treasure it more than something mass produced. My project is already very interactive, looking into large lenses to understand the history of the site, and the people that used to live around it. Every person that looks through the lenses will look through the lenses in different ways. They take ownership over my project when it is displayed. Maybe like Sugru, my project needs a way for the viewers to comment, to give them a voice.


Bibliography 

Atto Partners. (2014). The Future Needs Fixing. Available: http://sugru.com/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Exploring New Technologies

Ark Nova: Anish Kapoor and Arata Isozaki 

To bring the arts and enjoyment after a tsunami hit Japan, Anish Kapoor and Arata Isozaki designed an inflatable concert hall. The hall can be deflated and folded up to bring entertainment to a wider audience.

In TED 10: Design to explore cleaner and better technologies, Design and materialise and develop systems and services.

This project is an inspiration for my own as the second image shows how the light shines through the material. My project is based on filters through a camera that resemble the photo above.

The photo (left) is one of the photographs in my project using lens filters

I wish to make these photos into a three-dimentional installation, and the Ark Nova's use of material could be useful for achieving this.







Bibliography

Frearson, A. (2013). Ark Nova by Arata Isozki and Anish Kapoor.Available: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/09/26/ark-nova-by-arata-isozaki-and-anish-kapoor-completes/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Presentation Day

Elkstone Road Edible Garden.

My project from last year approached the idea of a garden that was created from naturally growing weeds from the area in London. The site was located next to a road and a train line, so pollution was abundant, therefore my garden stood as a contrast amongst the pollution.   

Site Plan: demonstrating the pollution in the area

The plants in the garden were all chosen as they were natural to the site, so they could grown on their own. I wanted the garden to act as a place of learning so that people could come to the site, pick anything they wished; and as I had also created a blog containing recipes for the plants understand how to cook them by scanning their smart phone on QR codes on site.

Axonometric: Demonstrating plants on site

I also designed the garden to be self sufficient, the garden contained tanks that stored rainwater that drained through cracks in the paving and connected to a sprinkler that would water the plants at specific times of the day. 

Section: Demonstrating the water tank and sprinkler system

When looking at my project from a sustainable design point of view I understood that my project stood in the 'USE' phase of the lifecycle.  This means that the way it is used makes it sustainable. 

The Tod Morden Community are a similar design to my own, they are a self sufficient town that grows their own vegetables and shares them amongst themselves.

In accordance with the TED 10, my edible garden fits into: 

8. DESIGN TO REDUCE THE NEED TO CONSUME- instead of buying products they are being grown.

4. DESIGN TO REDUCE ENERGY AND WATER USE- my sprinkler system drains and stores rainwater to water the plants. 

References 

McDougall, K. (2014). Communiy Growing . Available: http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk/projects/community-growing. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Chemical Impacts and Ethical Reproduction

20,000 people die every year from agricultural pesticide poisoning, rivers and lakes are being polluted by factories. Dye is being dumped into rivers, so much so that locals can predict the colour forecast for fashion by the colour of the steams. 

Things are being done to prevent this, water free dyes, reducing water to dye.

It makes me wonder the chemical impacts that the architectural industry produce and what the materials that we are using are doing to the world..
After 2 minutes of research I found out the harmful impacts that MDF has on the human body- carcinogenic, aggravating lung conditions such as asthma. There is a positive though, as long as the material is used in a well ventilated area the health risks are much lower. Alongside this MDF is recyclable- can be broken down to create insulation. MDF is also made from waste wood, broken down and mixed with wax and resin, so could be classed as sustainable.

Despite this, materials such as bamboo are much more sustainable as they are fast growth and strength. Would it be possible to create a timber from something like bamboo that is just as strong?

It was also noted that energy and water use is one of the biggest issues. Most of the energy is used up after production with clothes, that means washing and ironing the garment. With this I was interested in the washing machine created that didn't use water.

LG are currently creating a water free washing machine, the technology is under wraps but the current creation that was unveiled by LG means that you can freshen clothes detergent and water free. 

There is already a Xeros washing machine that uses nylon beads with a drop of water and detergent to remove dirt and stains. As there isn't a spin and drain function it also only uses 2% of the energy creates by conventional washing machines. 

References

Quick, D. (2009). ‘Waterless’ washing machine cleans using nylon beads. Available: http://www.gizmag.com/xeros-washing-machine/12088/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Smith, M. (2013). LG is building a washing machine that doesn't use water. Available: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/17/lg-senior-vp-washing-machine-no-water/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Wikipedia. (2013). Medium-density fibreboard. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Design Cyclablity

The main aim with design cyclability is trying not to let the product reach the end of its life- tackling the design at the stages before, ensuring each stage has been considered. 

Keiran Jones and Studio Swine through research realised the amount of waste floating in the 'pacific garbage patch' just waiting to decompose. Of course as the waste is mostly made of plastics this decomposition will not happen for thousands of years. Their aim is to collect this waste and recycle it into their current 'sea chair', which in my opinion is rather poetic in aesthetic and ethos. 

The rough texture of the seat alludes to the imperfection of the sea and waves that encircle it. The black colouring with splashes of white remind me of oil, oil that creates the plastics, oil that swamps the ocean, polluting and spreading. The chair may be beautiful, but its message is a warning. 

In my own work, when making models I always ensure that offcuts are used and that I don't buy new materials, for example when making my site plan, all wood was sourced from the workshop and they only have offcuts.

References

Jones, K and Studio Swine. (Unknown). About The Sea Chair Project .Available: http://seachair.com/about-3/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Design to Minimise Waste

We were introduced to the first instalment of the TED10- Design to minimise waste.
The first three elements taught were; repair, reduce, reuse- extending the life of a product.
However there are also methods of minimising waste to go through, with disposal as a last resort.

1. Avoidance/ Minimisation
2. Reuse
3. Recycling
4. Recovery
5. Disposal

Maximising the conservation of resources by keeping in mind these methods cuts down the amount of waste and extend the life of materials and products.

I found a wonderful example of reusing materials on the website Materia.nl that Miriam noted in her lecture today. This example takes grains from breweries and adds them to the ceramic mix, increasing insulation and heat retention!

This discovery shows that through research and innovation- alongside a whole lot of creative vision, something that would usually end up being disposed of is making a raw material better. The website Materia, I found fascinating and inspiring as the articles on there are things you would never have envisaged. When looking at materials to use for my project I will ensure I keep this article and website in mind so that I don't just choose the obvious. 

In the interest of minimising waste even before you choose materials, we were shown David Telfer's 'The North Face Zero Waste Project'. A coat in which the pattern has been prepared so that minimal fabric is wasted and minimal seams are used.

Illustrating the idea of considering minimising waste from the moment that ideas for a design begin whizzing around in your brain. In David Telfer's case he has let minimising waste fuel his ideas, and the finished product is just as innovative as the zero waste behind it.

In the interest of my own work the pattern for the coat could easily be the pattern for the construction of something more architectural, so when planning my designs for my upcoming project I will definitely take into account how much of a material I will need and work out how to build my designs around the size of that material so that wastage will be minimal.


References
Materia. (2014). Bricks from Beer. Available: http://materia.nl/article/bricks-beer/. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

Telfer, D. (2010). The North Face Zero Waste Project. Available: http://www.davidtelfer.co.uk/page2.htm. Last accessed 9th Jan 2014.

TED 10

Today’s lecture was enlightening. Its common knowledge that we should recycle, but sometimes laziness gets in the way, easier to buy new and throw into landfill. In todays society of consumption, all media indoctrinates us into buying not reusing. Its also easy to begin to question things like global warming whilst being swept away during your everyday life. Miriam’s lecture today brought me back down to earth unveiling the harsh realities we are doing to our planet, reducing its lifespan. The figures for the amount of clothes we throw away was unfathomable, and it is inspiring to know that TED is out there campaigning, growing to make the future of our planet more positive.