2016 Fashion Schau: Remodeled
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Date
2016-03-30
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Abstract
As an unfortunate side effect of the increase in digital fabrication, I am constantly seeing chunks of foam, wood, and plastic in the trash. In planning the 2016 Fashion Schau (a charity event where student designers make outfits from unconventional materials), I wanted to reduce this waste by using alternative materials while achieving the same high level of quality. I began research by contacting businesses in Columbus whose scraps would equate to my idea of usable material. Wasserstrom Restaurant Supply was able to donate fragments of stainless steel pipes and sheets of polyethylene (plastic) leftover from cutting board countertops. These materials allowed me to sculpt forms using additive (3D printing) and subtractive (CNC routing) processes. With many samples of same-sized pipes, I was able to arrange pieces into a whole and connect them with custom 3D printed joints. The resulting form was strong enough to be a small, irregular structural frame and organic enough to stand alone like a creature waiting to pounce. The polyethylene was CNC routed easily to a refined finish surface. When illuminated, the varying opacity of the carved piece led to my interest in creating a series of lanterns. I milled pieces that can fold up into boxes and inserted a light inside each to create four lanterns with different joinery techniques and surface patterns. This research will determine the best way to create 21 lanterns for the Fashion Schau runway. We will then build the lanterns in a way that employs both the most practical construction scheme for mass production and a compelling surface treatment for overall effect. In the past, the Fashion Schau has been a fleeting event. My hope is that lining the runway with a field of glowing lanterns made from scrap countertop plastic will raise the bar for design and sustainability in the Schau. Prior to this project, ignoring the possibility of a more sustainable digital fabrication practice was limiting my material pallet and contributing to the overwhelming waste that is already a part of the architecture discipline. These new materials can be used in future designs and this research process can begin again to discover resources for future construction projects.
Description
Art/Architecture: 3rd Place (The Ohio State University Denman Undergraduate Research Forum)
Keywords
Architecture, Digital Fabrication, Fashion, Design, Lighting, Recycled Materials