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UPCYCLING PROJECT
The Upcycling project is one that practices the creativity and innovation of a student. The task was simple, go to charity shops and purchase items in teams of two or three to then transform them into a new product. Our budget was £10 per person so we had to be careful with what we bought. Could it be bent or cut, extruded or folded? Once these items had been bought we took them to the table and started drawing out designs. This year some of the students came up with some fantastic ideas and here they are displayed below; ranging from a light standing on golf clubs to an old camera transformed into a iPhone docking station.
THE OLYMPUS DOCK
Originally an Olympus OM10 SLR camera, now an iPhone docking station with surround speakers inside old broken lenses. The challenge with this design was that the OM10 was already a beautiful item and to try and repurpose and redesign it would be a difficulty. As this was the case the plan with this design was to retain the form of the object and try to change the function instead.
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The idea of making this an iPhone dock seemed to be the perfect fit, it would provide an interesting miss-match of form and function, one that is relatable to today as these old items are becoming obsolete due to the new phones and technology that is being produced.
THE ALBATROSS LIGHT
Here is the albatross, a design that carefully and meticulously fuses together a trio of golf clubs, a cooking pot and a tripod. The bold black and gold really makes this upcycled design stand out in any room. The giant bulb that has been fitted inside the cooking pot fits the powerful design perfectly and the small details like the fabricated golden wire really demonstrates the attention to detail and the craftsmanship of this design.
Designed and manufactured by three students, this product exemplifies simplicity as well as complexity. They joined the tripod and gold clubs together for a strong structure. The back of the pot was drilled as well as having a bulb fitting placed inside.
THE LÜMEN LIGHT
This contemporary light has a powerful stance on any desk, with its contrasting thin, delicate bicycle spokes and thick sturdy legs, the light can be used anywhere, from the office desk to the bedroom. Its directional light bulb encapsulated by a traditional lead tankard allows the user to point light at their intended workspace.
The minimalistic form of the legs paired with the singular, old lead tankard creates a satisfying contrast within the form of the product.
THE ROCKING BENCH
This piece of furniture was originally one single rocking chair, but this team pulled the original apart and redesigned it in order for the product to fit two people. This seemed like a simple task, which is why the details and finishing was very important for this bench.
They used a wardrobe in order to have the material to extend the seat and back rest. All of the components were sanded down in order to reveal their original wood grain and colour. By doing this the wood could be painted a lot easier; the legs were painted blue and so were the supports for the back rest. These small details really made this piece pop out as well as the fact that the original function still retained in the piece but in a new and evolved format.