0dls
// key words
spacial dynamics
static education
collectivity
classroom perception
cognitive load
adhd
mental health
human-factors engineering
modularity
me factory
manufacturing
A friend of mine once called me from America during my first year in the IDE programme. It was 5am on the east coast and he was moving merchandise around his warehouse after returning from a conference. He said, "David, I met a [second] billionaire in my lifetime; there is something different about them, they walk slowly".
For the following days that conversation followed me around in my head. I realised I had been doing something wrong all along. I called him a few days later and said, "We are running so that we can walk slow, but what if those billionaires just walk through life and avoid the 'running'
part of it?".
If our bodies truly are vehicles of transportation, then, surely the velocity generated by our anatomic movements plays a role on our perception. Imagine a bee wizzz by you. To the bee, you are moving in slow motion because of size differentiation [and other variables]. All species perceive time differently.
Reducing my pace was a major game-changer. For the first time, pedestrians would pass me. I was able to observe and process twice the amount with just a 50% decrease in my pace. This allowed me to see things I would otherwise have missed. It allowed me to appreciate things more and to
be grateful.
A flock of school children [aged aprx. 09-14] walked passed me on one of those walks I was having in Hyde Park, London. I took my time to observe. I have nephews and nieces in that age group and all I could think about was what their educational experience must be like today. What are they learning?, and how are they learning it?
Not a lot has changed in terms of the structure and dynamics of a modern middle/high school classroom. Sure, the content and delivery have, and continue to develop, but the student interaction and engagement are lacking behind.
Adulthood moves fast paced, and the youth are faced with the repercussions. Mental health in the youth is a growing concern. Our classrooms need to be modified in order to adapt to the inevitable progression of the foreseeable future. We are urged to take action; the children are relying on us.
research
// diversity - With the advent of globalisation, we now have classrooms which are melting pots of different cultures.
// ADHD - is one of the most common neurodevelopment conditions of childhood.
// vandalism - Sociologists suggest that school vandalism may be motivated by vindictiveness, maliciousness, ideological concerns, acquisitiveness, boredom,
or frustration.
// space - not only elicits an emotional reaction; it can impact your ability to focus and build confidence. A study by MDR Education found that 94% of educators believe space impacts learning, most notably in its ability to engage and motivate students.
// collectivity - We are progressing towards a collective-based society. niv 1.0d responds to the transition by breaking the perceptual notion of ‘static’ learning.
Classrooms today are made of static elements. students sit on static chairs by a static desk. In their seats for hours a day, they are required to process new information. If the chair and desk are static, the student must be too. One static child, next to another static child, etc., in a classroom full of
static children, in a world full of fast
paced progression.
// cognitive load theory - Population grows with every generation. With every generation, information grows, and we transmit tonnes of it to the new generation. So each generation is receiving more information than the one before. This can be very overwhelming and will have major implications if we
do not intervene.
// dynamism - The ability of the brain to develop and maintain neural connections is based on new movement and play experiences of
young children. Brain cell connections are lost or pruned away as a result of limited
activity or stimulation.
// efficiency - I am fondly interested in the aesthetics of electronic circuitry. The choreographed movements of electricity that when operated collectively, generate functionality. A computer is a [multi]task-able device. If students could work as effectively, we may be able to reach a paradigm of efficiency.
// envirnment - Inspiration was drawn too from labyrinth mazes. Like circuits, they are architecturally complex. Navigating them entails mental efficiency. I was interested in the concept of cognitive collectiveness, and examined the possibilities of motion within a 'static' structured environment.
process
// me factory - For gateway 01 of the super[F]orm module, we were requested to propose three avenues of interest. Our brief - 'me factory' wanted us to consider the elements of sustainable manufacturing. From the three, I attempted to merge two of the following concepts.
// lifetime chair - The first avenue of interest was something I coined, "lifetime chair". The average person will spend more than 18 years of their adult lifetime sitting down. There are an estimated 5.7 billion chairs in the world today! I wanted to make a base that could be modified throughout a lifetime. For example, your baby chair would transition to a computer chair, and eventually into a wheelchair, let's assume. Replacing parts as oppose to the chair itself
over a lifetime.
// school chair - The direction - traditional school-chairs. I remember writing this proposal in tears. What I wanted to achieve was so much bigger than me; it was about the future - the children, they needed me. A spark of passion was ignited in the early stages of niv 1.0d’s creation. Foreseeing a future where children can
work collectively in a dynamic environment motivated my will to innovate this
new solution.
Ultimately, I wanted to create something that could be built and modified by the children to suit the topic[s] of study. This way I could keep manufacturing at a low, and schools can have stock modular parts that align with the 'me factory' brief.
After the suggestion to hybridise the concepts was made by module instructor Assa Ashuach, I started prototyping small scale modules to help elaborate the complex idea I was beginning to have with regards to 0dls. [dynamic learning systems]
// form -After consulting with a number of industry professionals, I ran material testing with seasoned craftsman in metal at the Royal College of Art. A total > £700 was invested in steel bar/sheet [5mm], angle connecters [as illustrated above], and copper sheet.
// motion - Now that the design was ready for assembly, I needed to engineer a bearing system for the motion dynamics of the environment. This was devised using a rectangular steel bar [3mm], metal bearings, nuts, bolts, and washers, to fit around the [25x25mm x 5mm] box cut I would bend to establish a railway, and
circular aesthetic.
After calculating the circumferences, the steel rods went through a bending machine one by one. The steel sheets were CNC'd to create the seats, and stationary desks, that I hand drew personally.
// elements - For the design of the environment elements, I was inspired by space and
aerodynamic design.
I took cues from space exploration novels, movies, and series, which I have read or watched. This, and considering the metal counterparts, gave niv 1.0d a futuristic look
and feel.
// ation - I proceeded to assemble the bearing system after the steel bars were bent and cut. I also needed to sand down the chair/table edges after being CNC'd. The workshop was backed, luckily, the heavy work was behind me so I was able to progress without too much stress. And considering the amount of work still needed, I was ahead. Organisation and preparation are fundamental values in the 0d brand.
All that was left for me to do in the workshop was to weld the seats to the bearing house. When the workshop pressure was reduced I was able to do so, with a little help.
// assembly - I was out of the workshop in three weeks, giving me just one week to assemble niv 1.0d for the Super[F]orm x Royal College of Art exhibition. It was just a matter of
transporting the modular parts from the
workshop to the gallery space. Once niv 1.0d
was moved, it was polished and the [seat] bearings were tested for fit and motion. To my relief there was traction. This left me with the last step - angle connection, and attaching the legs. And, just like that, niv 1.0d was born.
outcome
// modularity - To everyone's surprise I succeeded in making a full
scale model in just one month’s time. The brief was to design a chair using the ‘me factory’ principle. Rather than a chair, I built an entirely functional
environment. It is so modular that school’s can keep
stock parts and students can build their own dynamic
environments to suit their very specifications.
// compatibility - niv 1.0d has one large table for sitting, one copper
plated table for elevated sketching, and three seats
currently. The scale of niv 1.0d is suitable for 4
children in elementary/middle schools, and one-two
adults in a design studio. The circular motion of the
user creative thought, and motion of the
students help elevate classroom productivity.
// results - In my undergrad programme, a colleague once said, "you are aware that this is an intermittent submission, not the final one, right?". I was hanging up my work.
My response was, "I treat every submission as a final one". This encourages me to do better, and, to want to be better so that I can produce better results. This is where I stand out most often; I'll do whatever is necessary.
// excellence - Well thought all around project, well executed. at the heart of this, is a new form of behaviour and this is where your main success is. The ‘walk around’, offers a fresh insight into new contemporary workflows. At a period of digital screen time, you manage to bring physical movement into the virtual office. Of course this needs to be structurally well solved, and the sculptural elements can be developed into more functional solutions. The visual impact can be made with this group of objects' perception of space and flow, maybe with some colour coding etc… overall, very well done. -Assa Ashuach [module leader]
Modular chair concept - instead of a single chair a whole new innovative office concept. Although obviously you are building here on your strong skills it is great to see that you pushed your personal boundaries beyond the normal brief to get a personal challenge out of that. Great engineering and finishing, well done in terms of gliding dynamic elements. Of course, some more optimisation is required but I can see this structure siting outside and would anchor this in the ground which would also not compromise the form.
Well done! -Dr. Bjorn Sommer
You were ambitious with the scope of your idea, David, which is admirable as was your magnificent, strutting, presentation. The bold structure needs further resolution as I'm sure you realise. All of its problems are easily resolvable with more time.
Well done. -Fred Baier
Interactive school chairs creating collaborative space. Creative ideas met good technical details. Nice ... elements and movement. -Professor Gareth Loudon [Head of Programme, RCA]
// feedback - Several months after the super[F]orm x RCA submission/exhibition, niv 1.0d was exhibited in the GERF [Great Exhibition Road Festival] x super[F]orm exhibition in the Dyson - School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London. The festival was open to the general public and escalated a shocking 70k-100k spectators [mainly families]. This was a good opportunity for me to generate public feedback. All of the
children were fascinated, and parents showed
interest and curiosity.
A small IDE curation team was assembled by [Head of Programe, ICL] Dr. Stephen Green. My responsibilities included the floor-planning and user journey.
evaluation
// human-centric - classrooms have developed technologically over the last two decades, but are primitive in appearance, and in human-human engagement. niv 1.0d is a human-centric collective framework designed and engineered for collective and dynamic interaction. This is best interpreted in classrooms. niv 1.0d extends beyond the reach of schools, being adoptable by studios and relevant fields with collective engagements at it core.
// optimisation - niv 1.0d is the outcome of four weeks [1 for planning, 2 for building, and 1 for assembling]. Like mentioned by the tutors in the outcome - with more time, optimisation and resources, niv 1.0d has the potential to be in schools and studios around the world. It is also a catalyst for further research and development in the area of spatial dynamics.
// perception - Like changing your pace can have an effect on your perception as we briefly discussed, then so can changing the way we interact [with each-other]. It may take getting used to, but the 0dls [0dynamic learning systems] is cleverly designed with efficiency in mind. Collectively, how much more will we be able to achieve? Will the collective dynamic help reduce the growing rates of mental health problems in the youth? It's definitely a step in the right direction.
// sustainability - Replacing the premature seating systems is a sustainable choice considering its modularity and superior life span. This can severely reduce current over manufacturing and production of furniture.
// 0dls vision - It is so easy to assemble the niv 1.0d prototype. I envision a future where schools carry stock parts. Students are assigned to groups of 4 or 6 [current 'static' tables range from 1 student to 4 per desk]. They are handed a small build book [resembling IKEA's] with instructions for a number of different designs that can be built with the parts that the school has. Each topic, each classroom. I envision the chair element can be removed and an attached to an 0dls in another room. This way they can feel free to vandalise their own seats, which are like transportable lockers containing their personal contents.
// future - Imagine what your child's classroom could look like with all the children moving in sync without the static bulkiness that you are familiar with today. How will there minds be shaped with such a simple transition?!