MakerLab Istanbul 2012. Design by Efe Alpay
Background: Adhocracy & Digital Manufacturing;
Adhocracy is part of the Istanbul Design Biennial. The exhibition presents a collection of some of the most relevant projects undertaken in previous years as part of the “Third industrial revolution.” Or as The Economist described it “The world of people who make things.” The scope of Adhocracy ranges from digital manufacturing and 3D printers to the re-appropriation of public spaces, open-source hardware and crowd funding. These are all important examples of how people are becoming pro-active, and how technology, and in particular the Internet, is facilitating that.
MakerLab Istanbul centres on the connecting of the projects presented at the biennial and the realities of the city of Istanbul. Our goal is to hold a lab where we can show how knowledge and tools can be applied, taking in consideration the knowledge and tools accesible to the citizens, and what the people of Istanbul are interested in.
We came to Istanbul without a clear product to develop but based on the time, tools and materials available, we want to:
• Build on the knowledge and tools exhibited,
• Link local needs and skills with a global movement,
• Make the project a public activity, so that people can experience it,
• Publish instructions, so that the knowledge created can be shared and build upon.
Concept: Virus Plug-In;
Infographic of plug-ins develop during the MakerLab Istanbul 2012. Graphics by Mattia Paco Rizzi
Like in many cities, people have been disenfranchised from the sense of responsibility towards the public space. Citizens think that the government and other institutions should take some action to rectify this. While this is a commodity, and is true that most times we are paying for it, it is more and more clear that centralised institutions can’t deal with all our requests.
So it becomes clear that we have to take charge, at least if we want something to happen. Most of the concepts that have emerged during the lab can be classified as public furniture objects. Objects that we could put in the public space, not just to serve a function, but to actually make us feel at home.
Inspired by projects such as
Open Ecology ,
Transparent Tools and
OpenStructures we began to think how we could create a “construction set” for public furniture. A library of objects that is open source and to which everybody can contribute. But of course, to make a library you
need a lot of books, and we have just one week. So how could we inspire people to
contribute?
The term The Virus Plug-in was coined as the concept definition. An object that will use a public structure as its own. It will grow around itself, almost self-replicating, and will give a new sense and value to its location, one decided by citizens.
We hope that by introducing objects to the street and telling people how they can be made, we initiate a viral action, were people feel able, allowed and encouraged by their peers to hack the public space. This is not, in itself, the change. The change depends very much on the willingness of people to get involved. It is not an action to impose a new concept – it is designed to invite reflection. And if just one person is inspired to do something, whatever that might be, we will have succeeded in spreading this virus.
Allowing for different interpretations of what a virus plug-in might look like, thus showing people a wider spectrum of what is possible, meant that we had to find a common language that unifies the project and help people connect the different plug- ins, sparking their curiosity. Our common language was the material 4mm MDF, and the construction technique (interlocking slices).
Thoughts: It is spontaneous;
Swing Bench, Wire frame from Rhino. Design by Pedro Pineda
Our project is not about producing something new. Even if the form is different, the programmes, the tools, even the idea of furniture is already existent. What we did in this lab was to show another possible option that is available to everybody. Thus joining the conversation about “the third industrial revolution.”
However, we feel our output, and the general zeitgeist, is far from industrial. It is spontaneous.
It is not based on specific machines or manufacturing processes (we have chosen the ones explained above, but we could have chosen another ones). It isn’t based on long planning processes, but on a reaction to the environment. A combination of our individual beings and input from the outside. The outputs are not even one-size fits all, but a specific object, for a specific purpose in a specific place and time.
They are all reactions to the zeitgeist, and not pre-manufactured ideas. These technologies aim to facilitate our capacity to react. Even though the technologies still have a long way to go until non-professionals can easily use them, here we have built fiscal prototypes so that we understand the new possibilities.
Process: Design & Making;
We did a public calendar for people to follow our activity. You can check it by pressing the link (and going to the right date)
Based on the available time (10 days) we have:
1. Understand the city (or part of it) and its opportunities 16th&17th October
2. Understand the exhibition, 17th October
3. Form questions that are inspired by the city insights, and can be solved by using the technologies presented,18th October
4. Converge into one concept which can let the general public experience it, 19th October
5. Prototype it using available tools and production methods (A smartphone to take the pictures, A computer with internet access,
123D Catch (transforms pictures to 3D scan, free), a 3D modeling software (i.e.:
sketch up, free),
123D Make (Transform 3D model into interlocked slices, free) a local laser cutter. )
20th – 24th October6. Document the process and share it, 23rd – 25th October
People:
Those are the people that make this MakerLab possible:
Alexander Spiliopoulos (Nationality: GER Expertise: Industrial Design)
Aslı Tekin (Nationality: TR Expertise: Interior Design)
Can Kuşadalı (Nationality: TR Expertise: Landscape Architecture)
Duccio Maria Gambi (Nationality: IT Expertise: Designer)
Efe Alpay (Nationality: TR Expertise: Industrial Design)
Erin Türkoğlu (Nationality: TR Expertise: Industrial Design)
Mattia Paco Rizzi (Nationality: IT Expertise: Ephemeral Architecture)
Melodi Bozkurt (Nationality: TR Expertise: Industrial Design)
Pedro Pineda Ballester (Nationality: ES Expertise: Experiences Design)
Serkan Burak Can Çangır (Nationality: TR Expertise: Industrial Design)
Projects:
Virus Plug-Ins from erin turkoglu on VimeoThe video documents the process to make a plug in step by step.
J-Table
Designed by Erin Turkoglu and Melodi Bozkurt
J Table designed to create a more comfortable public space experience near Galata tower. We took inspiration from people using the planters as a backrest while sitting on the stairs and created J Table to fit onto the planters perfectly. Due to recent protests against the police limiting public seating people have been getting creative with the existing planters and stairs. We were inspired to create a table that grew onto the planters for people to use and enjoy.
Istanbul Location; 123D Interlocking slices model to download
Tavla Table
Designed by Alex Spiliopoulos
The Tavla Table is a PlugIn created to give a new meaning to the freed space opened up by a damaged bench. Created by 3D scanning the existing object with 123D catch and later on adding the design of the table, fusing the shapes digitally and using laser cut technology to manufacture it nearby.
123D Interlocking slices model to download
Swing Bench
Designed by Pedro Pineda
The bench is a plug in for the public space. Designed to fit over a rail thus changing prohibition (The rail is there to prevent parking) for invitation (the bench will allow people to use the rail as seating and meeting place.
The user can both observe the passes by or flip it to create a more intimate atmosphere.
Istanbul Location; Infographic, 123D Interlocking slices model to download
Hanger
Designed by Efe Alpay
Hanger plug-in which is visible from outside of the exhibition space connects other plug-ins on the surrounding streets designed at Maker Lab Istanbul to the exhibition space and welcomes the visitors of the exhibition with a strange yet familiar appearance, personalizing a public space with the feeling of coming home.
Hanging your coats when you come home was the inspiration of this infectious piece.
123D Interlocking slices model to download
Common Garden
Designed by Duccio Maria Gambi
Using the existing structure of bollards to fix it to the public space, the installation aims to diffuse several cells of a common garden, the care of which is taken in charge by people.
The use of a standardized object to connect to permits the volunteer gardener to download plans and build easily it’s own plug-in…
Created with laser cut mdf interlocking slices.
123D Interlocking Slices model to download
SliceBench
Designed by Aslı Tekin
This Bench is designed for the public space. It is build around a lamp post to give it stability while allowing user’s choice of view. The Slice bench is in front of Cihangir Stairs.
123D Interlocking slices model
Hyppocamus
Design by Mattia Paco Rizi
The Hyppocamus offers it self for random passers by to be ridden towards whatever destination the rider might imagine.
It uses the qualities of the interlocking slices and the bollard as fixing structure to allow the right amount of swinging.
Stairable
Althought each of us took one project further developing its aspects in details, it is difficult to say from who each idea was. Therefore we can say all ideas are from all of us.
Istanbul map of plug-ins:
Visualizza Istanbul MakerLab in una mappa di dimensioni maggiori
Resources:
