Having established the theme of material Scarcity within urban settings I wanted to find projects which addressed this topic. The RCA was a plentiful supply of Inspiration.
The Well Proven Chair is an attempt to utilise the waste from American Hardwood Processing. Mixing the discarded shavings with Expanding foam makes a robust material which quickly makes beautiful chairs.
Studio Swine began at the RCA with the Sea Chair project which uses reclaimed plastic from the sea to build furniture. Can City is there latest project in Sao Paolo which uses aluminium cans and open source design to capatalise on the informal waste collection system in Sao Paolo. I Began to investigate informal waste collection in London having lived in Leyton (East London) I began to picture shopping trolleys full with scrap metal being wheeled to the local merchants.
By chance I was given some Tin Ingots and decided this was a great opportunity to start experimenting with casting. Fairly academic as Tin will happily melt in a Laddle with a blow torch. Regardless it was hoped the process could be progressed onto denser metals.
Ezio Manzini’s frame work of future sustainability being ‘small’ ‘local’ ‘open’ and ‘connected’ I began to imagine small communities of informal makers, a natural progression from scrap collection to utilisation. It was difficult to imagine how this could manifest itself as a suitable project.
Sven Ladiges who is currently a RCA student kindly agreed to meet with me and discuss my project. I took my tin cutlery I cast and my Logbook. His feedback was much appreciated and he encourage me to focus on how the process could empart knowledge or value.
DIABLOGUE. - A Design Project 