We mounted an aluminium frame on the rear end of a vintage Piaggio Ape.
The cube as well as the ground plate of this rear end were designed and built according to the OS grid
(the cube measures 120x120x120cm, consists out of aluminium tubes of 4x4cm and has 5mm perforations every 4cm).

The vehicle is now travelling through 5 Belgian cities, where 5 groups of students will build further on the vehicle / cube (each time giving it a different function) under the supervision of a different artist. At the end of this road trip the different installations will be brought together, disassembled and reconfigurated with one another.

To be continued ...


Concept & reconversion
by Thomas Lommée and Jo Van Bostraeten

We were invited in Berlin by the DMY festival to present and puzzle with the OpenStructures project at their Makerlab event.
Some of the results are featured below.

Many thanks to Ake Rudolf and his crew for their efforts and the great event!

Mashing up the motorbloc (by Thomas Lommée + Jo Van Bostraeten) and CargoBike (by Jo Van Bostraeten) ...

Reconfiguring the transport box (by Laurens Bekemans and Thomas Lommée) into a table structure ..

Z33 – House for contemporary art and REcentre – centre for sustainable design presented ‘New Times, New Heroes’ at the design week in Milan. Through the exhibition over 20 designers and organizations connected with the OS project.

For the exhibition new OS parts and structures were designed by Johan Bruninx, Brussels Cooperation, Mieke Dierckx, Lizanne Dirkx, Ben Hagenaars, LInde Hermans, Christiane Hoegner, Pascal Koch, Sophie Lachaert, Lore Langendries, Maison Caro, Dick Van Hoff, Matt Sindall, Unfold and Rayah Wauters.

Tablescape
by Christiane Hoegner

Stamp
by Maison Caro

Brick
by Matt Sindall

New front part for OpenCargoBike
by Unfold

Hammer
by Sophie Lachaert

Switch
by Dick Van Hoff

Ring / handle
by Lore Langendries

Heel / Cabinet leg
by Lizanne Dirkx

Towel
by Linde Hermans

From September 2009 until January 2010 two OS workshops were held at the Design Academy Eindhoven.

The students were asked to design objects that:
- relate to the grid, (either dimensionally or through applying the OS assembly point pattern)
- could be easily disassembled and reassembled (as if it were a puzzle)

We also asked the students to look at each others work and in search for possible combinations between their projects. copy / pasting was encouraged, and co-creation was stimulated.

The workshop was meant to further 'Beta-test' the OS concept and to learn from the feedback and outcomes of the students.

One of the main things that the outcomes learned us was that common diameters of 4, 8, 12 or 16cm were often used by the students as common interfaces between different components. We therefor added thesediameters into the next version of the OS ruler.

Distractors
by Philip Luschen

a lot is shared with us daily.
nice parks, colorful flowers en pretty buildings.
on the other hand there is a lot of grayness
like waiting rooms, staircases, office buildings and dark tunnels as well.

by placing distractors I would like to distract people in area’s they fear, feel bored or uncomfortable.

these objects will catch your attention,

distract you
attract you

…..and for a moment forgetting the reality you are in.

For the OpenStructures system I add a 20 to 5mm plug and a variable arm.
The plug introduces a new smaller scale to the system.
The variable arm is a more diverse playful piece which grabs on the system
as a claw.

Notice that some objects could come to live while using the arm!

Compatibles
by Marthe Biezen and Aukje Janssen

This project contains a sequence of parts to pour liquids and can be applied on different materials and existing volumes. Pieces which stimulate the flexibility between objects and create access to add, use and re-use.

According to our research, we introduced these parts as well as a metrical screw size into the OpenStructures system, to which we designed our parts.

Modular China
by Eva Smeltekop

The modular china set is made of 8 standard cup and bowl shapes.
All the different shapes have at certain heights the same diameters according to the OS grid.
At these heights the shapes are cut, so they become rings or bottoms.
All the shapes can be combined into new shapes.
The bottoms can also be used as plates and lids.

Set to cook, eat and keep your food
By Kirstie Van Noort

this set contains six parts.
two ceramic bowls, both with the diameter of 16 cm, but each with a different size hole. one of 4 cm and one of 8 cm.
by putting the cupper plate of 8 cm, with holes, in the ceramic bowl with the hole of 8 cm you create a strainer. you can use this to prepare parts of food.
there are also two rubber caps, sizes of the diameters are 4 cm and 8 cm. when you put the rubber caps in the ceramic bowls, then there are two closed bowls.
now you can put food, water etc in to eat of.
by putting the rubber ring of 16 cm between the two ceramic bowls, you can close them. so that you can keep your food fresh.

Compartmentalized drilling machine
By Nacua

Constructive bottle
by Sanne Ree Barthels

Plastic bottle that can get a second life as a construction element.
All four screw heads are M22 (diameter = 20mm)

A series of 'hardware hacks' that crossed my path.

A lot of these hacks were found at thereifixedit.com.

From therifixedit.com:
"Anytime anyone anywhere has used duct tape, zip-ties and bubble gum to hold something together with just enough tensile strength to not instantly kill everyone in the room…that’s a kludge. Whether it was to get your first car, which was older than you, to last another month or simply to avoid having to buy new headphones, almost everyone has kludged something. We just encourage taking photos for e-fame."

What all of these hacks have in common is that each of them tells a kind of personal story, they all add a human layer to the mass-produced, as if you can almost hear the cursing or laughter of the people who performed the hacks.

Add-ons
Customizing by adding one or more components.

Replacements
Customizing by replacing one or more components.

Transformations
Customizing by transforming the function of the object

Adaptations
Customizing by adapting one or more components.

From gekgasifier.com:

"The Gasifier Experimenters Kit (GEK) offers beginners through experts an easy way build and customize a wide variety of gasifier types and run configurations. Whether you’re a DIY power enthusiast, university researcher, or industrial engineer, the GEK will get you quickly over the starting hurdles of gasification, and on to the more rewarding work of making power and making biochar.

The GEK is designed in a modular fashion for easy switch out between common reactor types and operating regimes. You can use the GEK to run an expertly configured downdraft gasifier for running engines and generating electricity. Or you can use the same base to create a pyrolysis retort for biochar making and soil studies. Each reactor is a separate assembly that bolts into a common gas cowling and ash handling base. Within each reactor type, all variables are easily adjusted and sub-assemblies are simply replaced via standardized “bolt to” flanges.

This modular design makes it easy to add performance parts and process elaborations as your needs require. Gasifiers are seldom “one design fits all”. Different fuels and different uses require different solutions. Thus the GEK is designed for easy integration of add-ons and customizations such as: auger fuel feed, in-situ fuel drying, IC exhaust gas heat recovery, active tar recycling systems, electronic instrumentation and control, and automated ash removal systems.

The result of is a uniquely powerful “LEGO system” of biomass thermal conversion. The GEK gives you access to all the commonly discussed, but rarely implemented “expert solutions”, and does so at the smaller-scale and lesser price relevant for personal energy projects.

The GEK project is solving the longstanding problems of small-scale gasification and pyrolysis. We invite you to join us on the cutting edge of the adventure– or least follow the derivatives via one of our growing number of imitators . . ."

From september 2009 until january 2010 two OS workshops were held at the Design Academy Eindhoven.

The students were asked to design objects that:
- relate to the grid, (either dimensionally or through applying the OS assembly point pattern)
- could be easily disassembled and reassembled (as if it were a puzzle)

We also asked the students to look at each others work and in search for possible combinations between their projects. copy / pasting was encouraged, and co-creation was stimulated

The workshop was meant to further 'Beta-test' the OS concept and to learn from the feedback and outcomes of the students.

One of the main things that the outcomes learned us was that common diameters of 4, 8, 12 or 16cm were often used by the students as common interfaces between different components. We therefor added these diameters into the next version of the OS ruler.

Recipient
by Hanae Shimizu.

A set of components, all based on a shared inner diameter of 8cm, that can be configurated into different objects and combined with existing recipients by using a yellow rubber band.

Research on the dimensions of existing recipients.
by Hanae Shimizu

Concept sketches and technical drawings
by Hanae Shimizu.

Research on component combinations based on a common diameter of around 8cm.
by Eva Smeltekop.

A series of found objects were combined and held together with a piece of elastic rubber (from a balloon).
The objective of this research was to document the diversity of object typologies that emerge through the combination of just a few components.

Lamp
by Matthijs Holland.

The lamp can be fully disassembled.
Some of the individual parts are currently integrated in the design of a sunscreen by Louise Knoppert.

Concept drawing
by Eva Smeltekop

Bag
by Sara Acosta

The OS grid is used as a pattern.
The fabric is kept together by leather squares with metal knobs.

Difference in the system.
Martijn Van Der Velden

By using bronze casting for making the OS parts. The skin of every partis different, but still compatible with the system. Because of the mainshape and the connection points according the grid.

Reconverted closet
by Linde Tangelder

The grid is made visible on a second hand closet hereby indicating possible second uses of the individual parts after cutting.

"The next big thing will be a lot of small things"

— Intrastructures




"Think inside the box"

— Intrastructures




“We see an object not as an end result,
but as a version.”

— Intrastructures





"Don't judge an object for what it is
but imagine what it can become."

— Intrastructures





"A new model of enterprise:
see the company as an open economic system
and a closed ecological system."

— Gunter Pauli





"It all works together or it doesn't work at all"

— Worldchanging