Repurposed Material Bench

MS (2015) Bench

This is the Unit 3 action project for Rapid Prototyping, a STEAM-based course in which students investigate and participate in the 21st century human maker experience. Unit 3 was titled “Multiplicative” and investigated different tools and the physics behind them. We explored different projects such as Life hacks, IKEA Hacks, and Instructables to better understand the vast possibilities when creating with many different tools and materials. The math and physics behind concepts such as torque and leverage were examined as well. Safety was a core focus of the unit and the class learned about the many dangers present when working with certain tools and materials and how to create a safe working environment. For this action project students were asked to design and create something useful for GCE’s new space. A conceptual design often faces difficulties when trying to enter the realm of reality. My initial design of the bench had to be refined and altered multiple times before being finalized. I’m most proud of my ability to continue on with the project regardless of the difficulties it presented me along the way. I refused to allow the complications encountered during the process to discourage me. My perseverance and ability to continue on with the project while making the necessary changes resulted in an aesthetically pleasing and functional piece of furniture.

You can build your own bench too! Click Here to find the step by step process as well as materials/tools necessary to complete this bench.

This project took inspiration from a variety of sources. Linda Keane, Professor of Architecture, Interior Architecture at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, provided me with the initial inspiration necessary for conceiving my design. At the end of her lecture she stated, “You can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary.” These words resonated with me on a personal level and allowed me to begin thinking about repurposing as a form of design. In addition to the inspiration taken from SAIC, I found inspiration in pre-existing projects such as Life hacks, Ikea hacks, and Instructables. One project that I was heavily influenced by was the One sheet Plywood Bench Instructables page. The final product’s simplicity as well as functionality intrigued me. This project allowed me to solidify my decision to design and build a bench.

The time lapse video which I created to document and share a portion of the building process can be found for viewing here. The original length of the video was 1:41. Using iMovie I compiled a series of video shorts and sped them up 333%. The 1:41 video was reduced to 30 seconds exactly. Each second of the time lapse is showing roughly 3.4 seconds of real time footage.

Torque was used when drilling screws into wood and butterflies into the base. When adding screws, I made sure to use a drill rather than a screwdriver which in turn reduced the amount of work I needed to apply to complete the job. The motor in the drill creates more torque than a standard screwdriver. While torque was used frequently in the building process of my bench, leverage wasn’t used. Leverage would come into play when a task such as removing a nail was being done. My previous knowledge and understanding of both leverage and torque allowed me to go into the building process with a general idea of physics behind work being completed.

Safety was a major concern during the building of my project due to the tools being utilized. Electric saws were used for the cutting of the wood. When cutting, it was essential to stay focused on the task at hand in order to reduce the risk of injury. Another fairly dangerous aspect of the building process was the use the staple gun. The staple gun is an extremely powerful tool that expels staples with great force. Its lack of a safety lock or off button meant that a high level of awareness must be present on the job being performed. Safety was always a concern during the project and precautionary measures were constantly being taken to create the safest working space possible. Goggles and longsleeves were worn during all times as additional safety measures.

I loved all aspects of this project. It began with a simple phrase, “You can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary”, and an idea followed. I worked towards refining my initial idea into a final design. The physical act of building it was incredible. The ability to take existing materials to create something different and new was fulfilling. I loved being able to utilize a variety of tools when constructing the bench. Being able to construct the bench in a workspace with a tremendous variety of useful tools made the construction portion of the project easier. Hard work throughout the building process was a necessity. Concentration and attention to detail was important in insuring that the final product turned out the way I had envisioned. This was an amazing overall project and I learned a tremendous amount from it. My top five lessons learned / pieces of advice for anyone attempting to do the same or similar project are:
1:Always take your time to make accurate measurements

2:Be aware of all potential safety hazards in order to minimize the risk of being injured

3:Repurposing > Buying

4:Make sure to drill the screws straight into the material rather than at an angle

5:Have a large enough space to work in

Collaborative Mural

For the unit 3 AP in If These Walls Could Talk students were put into groups and asked to collaboratively design and execute a mural in GCE's new space. Group members evaluated the murals made by students in unit 2 in order to find both visual and conceptual elements we wanted to include in our mural. Over the course of a few weeks, we all worked together towards finalizing the prep work necessary for the completion of the mural. We cut and tested stencils, took pictures and complied collages, and prepared the wall. The process at times was frustrating but a continued forward pushing effort allowed our group to remain on task. All the time and effort we put forth began to pay off when our ideas began transforming into realities. Following weeks of prepping and planning our mural had finally come together. The final mural was both a beautiful piece of art that captivated the viewer as well as a tool that contained a deeper message.

The mural my group created depicts a diverse group of people spanned across the length of the wall. Interspersed cracks throughout the wall contain collages depicting different realities, treasures, and gems Chicago contains but aren’t known for. The intention and purpose of the mural is call attention to and shed light on the many beautiful and amazing attributes Chicago posses. The media and techniques used to carry out the mural include spray paint, stencils, and wheat paste. The process to create the stencils began with images of different people varying in size and gesture being transferred to the wall via projector. The images were traced on paper then attached to cardboard to be cut out. The spray paint was misted over the stencil to transfer the image onto the surface. Original photographs from group members were compiled and transformed into collages each containing a central theme. The three collages represent the hidden gems of Chicago found in Art, Architecture and Culture. The digitally produced collages were printed out in sections and to be assembled by the group. Laser ink images and a natural adhesive comprised of four parts water to one part starch are the two integral components of wheatpasting. The adhesive was applied to the surface via a rolling tool called a brayer. The laser ink images were applied over the initial coat of adhesive and then covered with a top layer of adhesive to seal the image. The background of the wall is grey. All stencils, both people and cracks were done in black spray paint. The black is bold and allows for the stenciled sections of the mural to pop out from the grey base. The mural’s color comes from the collages.The collages are where the piece’s core theme lies, the hidden gems of Chicago, and the use of a variety of colors helps to draw the viewer's attention towards it. The mural transforms and impacts the space it occupies by providing it with a visually pleasing and stimulating piece that also contains a deeper message. The mural acts as a tool which allows viewers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of Chicago and its many treasures and gems. The mural impacts the space by providing an important message which is directly related to GCE’s mission. The mural transforms the space by taking bits and pieces of art, culture, and architecture from different areas and neighborhoods of Chicago and compiling them to create a visual representation of Chicago hidden gems.

Each day in class group members claimed certain roles which were essential in staying on track and working towards the completion of the mural. The four roles included artistic director, director of operations, mule, and documentarian. The artistic director was in charge of making sure the work being done aligned with the proposed mural and all work was good quality. The director of operations was a logistical position where the group member would keep time as well as be aware of and reiterate deadlines/due dates. The mule was in charge of retrieving materials necessary for the execution of the mural. The documentarian was in charge of documenting the work period through photo and video. The photos and videos were then shared with the group to then be later used for the making of each students video. My favorite of the four roles was documentarian. I enjoy capturing moments in time and documenting work processes. I was quite effective at documentarian due to my ability to take high quality photos and videos while still working and remaining on track with the project. My least favorite of the four roles was the mule. I didn’t particularly enjoy being the mule as it was boring and time consuming. The constant need to retrieve materials prevented me from fully diving into my work for that particular work period. While I didn’t enjoy the role, I understood the importance of it in completing our mural. If I could change something about the process and experience I would allow for more time in the space to execute the murals. The short window of time we were granted to work in the space prevented us from experimenting more which would have allowed for a better end product. The final mural we created achieved our original goal of creating a beautiful and aesthetic piece of art that contained a powerful and significant message. Our continued hard work and perseverance during the creation process allowed us to create a final mural that transformed and impacted the space in the way we had envisioned.