Besides varying capabilities for adapting to form variation of constituent parts, the surface-based bike-frame aggregations we studied previously, also have different bending flexibility.
Continue readingCluster 1: pattern malleability
Cluster 3: Connector System for Detergent-Bottle Nodes and PVC Pipes
In this study, we explore how to create a simple connection system between the detergent-bottle nodes and PVC pipes. The aim is to develop a connector system that:
- uses as few components as possible,
- can be assembled and disassembled without tools or skills,
- performs well under tension and compression,
- and reuses an existing element of the bottle (the cap).
Cluster 2: Field Trip – MACK Company
Mid of August, we had the chance to visit Mack. The company is located in Altenmarkt, Austria, just a 30-minute drive from Vienna. Mack specializes in the production of technical plastic components using injection molding and extrusion blow molding, supported by their own in-house mold making.
Continue readingCLUSTER 2: The Detergent Bottle as Building Block: From Geometry to Pattern to Surface Structure
In this part of our ongoing exploration into how detergent bottles can become building blocks, we return to the idea of designing the shape of the bottle. Not by changing the form in complex ways, but by applying what we’ve learned from space-filling geometry.
Instead of completely transforming the bottle, we focused on minimal modifications, while making it suitable for a second life as a modular element.
CLUSTER 2: The Detergent Bottle as Building Block: Exploring Interlocking, Puzzle Logic, and Shape-Driven Reuse
Learning from the WOBO bottle – (you can read more in our previous blog post) – we were fascinated by how the design embedded reuse directly into the form of the packaging.
We’ve been exploring the idea of giving packaging not just a second life through recycling, but a second function through design. This led us to experiment with how detergent bottles could be transformed into interlocking, modular components, inspired by Japanese joinery, 3D puzzle logic.
CLUSTER 2: Learning from Heineken’s WOBO Bottle
WOBO: The Beer Bottle Designed to Build Homes. In the 1960s, Alfred Heineken visited Curaçao and noticed two things: beaches were littered with glass bottles, many from his own brand, and a huge housing shortage. This led him to an idea: what if beer bottles could be used as bricks for housing?
Continue readingCluster 3: From Container to Connector
We’re returning to the detergent bottle — and to the techniques we explored earlier with pressed plastic panels in the Pearse structure. But this time, the goal is to preserve more of the bottle’s original shape while still transforming it into a structural element.
Continue readingCluster 3: Space Filling Geometry Systems – Approximating Artefacts Through Geometry
In this phase of the project, we’ve shifted our perspective. Until now, the physical experiments revolved around pressing artefacts into a predefined geometric mold. Specifically, we worked with the Peter Pearce’s Curved Space System, using saddle pentagons to form a continuous surface. This approach treated geometry as the fixed system, and artefacts as materials to be adapted. But what if we turned the concept around?
Continue readingCluster 3: Molding Experiments – recycled Plastic Panels
Recycling plastic into panels for Peter Pearce’s Curved Space structure presents several challenges, from understanding material properties to refining the molding process. Through this series of experiments, we explored different plastic types, tested different melting techniques to create saddle pentagon panels.
Continue readingCluster 3: Toy recreated- Curved Space Diamond Structure
We’ve recreated all five pieces of the Curved Space for 3D printing, transforming them into a toy. The goal was to explore the challenges and problems of the structure on a small scale in order to better understand what needs attention when scaling up.
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