I make a bunch of stuff out of plywood. A lot of it is utilitarian furniture–bookshelves, workbenches, occasional chairs and stools. I’ve been wishing for a long time that I could find a plastic substitute material, like the synthetic decking and lumber I see for sale in the hardware stores these days, to use instead, not only for the eco-friendly aspect, but because I’d like to have a material that was naturally water-resistant and did not require finishing.
That’s why I was excited to learn, a few months ago, about EcoSheet, which is a “plywood replacement” panel material manufactured by British firm Environmental Recycling Technologies. I hit them up for a sample and they sent me a 4″ x 4″ x 3/4″ piece of the stuff, which is pictured above. It does not weigh as much as plywood, but seems just as rigid, and drills and cuts easily. And although their initial market seems to be the construction industry, specifically temporary structures erected as barriers and pouring forms, I’m looking forward to experimenting with “off-label” uses when and if it becomes available in small quantities in the US.
EcoSheet is manufactured from 75% recycled material, mostly waste electrical and electronic equipment, and can itself be recycled at the end of its useful life.
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In response to our DIY Movie Making theme, Derek “Deek” Diedricksen sent us this first episode of Tiny Yellow Houses, a series he’s doing on backyard shackitecture, this one featuring his “Hickshaw,” a movable small structure designed to be used as a backyard hang-out space/tiny office or festival sleeping space.
Derek also has a self-published, hand-drawn book of his wacky, whimsical backyard structures, called Humble Homes… You can order it on his blog, Relax Shacks.
More pics from the book after the jump.
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Portuguese design students Diogo Aguiar and Teresa Otto built a temporary bar out of Ikea bins for the annual Queima das Fitas celebrating the end of exams:
Year after year, the students of Oporto School of Architecture are invited to think on a temporary bar to represent their institution with the expected dignity, as an outstanding architectural object. The given implantation, the fast construction and the low budget are some of the premises which must be considered.
The proposed bar stands as an iconic cube of light, composed of modular parts. Taking advantage of the IKEA build-by-your-own world, the project is a parallelepiped made out of different depth storage boxes which give it the modular diversity on its textured skin. After winning the competition, some adjustments were done and the bar grew to 4,7 metre high, standing as a visual reference.
Built in one week with the help of students, it was completed one month after the jury announcement. A total of 420 boxes were first fixed on a wooden structure and then attached to the main metal structure, on site. A huge LED net was fixed behind the boxes, allowing the bar to dramatically change its appearance: by day a white abstract and closed volume; and by night a box of changing light following the DJ set.
[via Dezeen]
Thanks for the additional info, João!
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I just can’t get enough flatpack.
The Belkiz Feedaway is a cardboard portable feeding chair that can be used for temporary situations or where space is at a premium. It is cardboard, easy to assemble for toddlers up to 20 months of age up to 20kg who are away from home. Ideal for temporary and commercial use, the Belkiz Feedaway is safe, strong, folds up easily and quickly and stores away in a tiny space. Ideal for mobile and modern lifestyles.
What do you think, readers? A silly concept that would never work, or is there a cool idea here? [via Inhabitat]
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I’m digging this wooden key rack concept by designer Thomas Bedós Bonaterra. Rather than using a mundane fastener such as a hook or Lego brick, his version relies on a hidden magnet to fasten your keys to the key rack. I wonder if it will support the unwieldy set of keys that I carry around? [via notcot]
More:
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Freya’s Cabin is constructed from CNC-cut plywood layers pressed together, with each layer having a cutout shape like a stage set. The structure is held together with glue and tension rods that fix through pre-drilled holes in every layer. Some of the layers, including the balustrade of the lake-side front, are clear acrylic. This allows light into the middle of the structure and creates a forest-cover-like affect. The structure is raised up off the ground with lots of golden metal “stems” randomly arranged and “planted” into the concrete foundations. Freya’s gold tears are made with perforated metal sheets, copper and aluminum alloy. This shiny golden material wraps the cabin’s sides, roof, and underside.
[via Dezeen]
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This process animation makes it look easy. There should be a zillion variations on the design of a chair like this. It looks like a good way to work with the concepts of compression, tension, torsion and shear, with students, as they design and build their own furniture. Have you used cardboard furniture design/build projects in a classroom setting? Let us know in the comments.
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Need a datacenter rack but don’t have one? Never fear, someone figured out that the Ikea “Lack” side tables work perfectly with 19″ hardware like Ethernet switches.
The LackRack is the ultimate, low-cost, high shinyness solution for your modular datacenter-in-the-living-room. Featuring the LACK (side table) from Ikea, the LackRack is an easy-to-implement, exact-fit datacenter building block. It’s a little known fact that we have seen Google engineers tinker with Lack tables since way back in 2009.
The tongue-in-cheek LackRack website offers a number of tips and hints, some of which are (seem?) serious.
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I have no idea what need there is for a folding workstation, especially one that looks profoundly uncomfortable. Still, it’s a fun idea that might spawn an idea or two.
Design firm Kapteinbolt explains:
We like to introduce FLKS (flex), a flexible workplace. Just open the panels unfold the table and the chair and put the plug in for light. The legs from the table and the chair are provided with special designed joints, pull and turn 90°.
The dimensions of the panels are a combination of sizes according to the Modulor of Le Corbusier in combination with the functional human sizes of today. This design is characterized by simplicity, clarity, freedom and space. Freedom in using and in arranging this workplace.
The dialogue between the space and furniture, but also the spaciousness of the furniture itself is an important fact. By bringing furniture back to the essence you can create space. The FLKS provides a definition of space. By giving cover to the back and to one of the sides, the FLKS creates a private and comfortable workplace.
[via dezeen]
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