UpCycle Project summary: I chose an aesthetic and used recycled products to build something reminiscent of that aesthetic.  I started to make a sun-catcher out of recycled mirror and colored glass, but the project morphed into a candle holder/cover made from recycled Christmas ornaments.  Final Project summary: I took the opposite route of the UpCycle…

  Blog 14: Final Project Report Part 2: Why and What Next? Reflection on the semester. Compare your original project intent to what you ended up with. What did you learn from your project, and from the class? What will you do next with the project? What do you wish you had done differently?  …

I had to come up with a Plan B due to the limitations imposed from the Coronavirus safety precautions.  I was planning on making a nightstand I could use in my apartment, but once the school wood shops closed I had to come up with an alternative project.  I decided to make a virtual rendering…

At this point in my project, I was supposed to be done with construction, and have been able to use this week for any unforeseen issues.  Maybe I need to re-sand, or add a stain finish, or the table came out wobbly. However, due to the current state of remaining indoors, I had to resort…

My aesthetic roots are a large mixture of nature vs nurture.  I grew up in a wealthy, affluent area of New York. My nature is more relaxed and hippie-like than a typical New Yorker.  While there, I was told I had a laid-back look and was often told I was undressed by my siblings. However,…

My favorite design build videos are by a man who has a YouTube channel called “Primitive Technology.  He defines primitive technology as “…a hobby where you build things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials.”  He doesn’t live in the wild, but all his videos are shown using tools and…

For part two of my detailed design review, I included a timeline broken up into weeks with milestones highlighted. Below is a screenshot of part of my detailed timeline.  Since woodworking is a new skill for me, I incorporated checking in with professionals every step of the way. My school has two wood shops, and…

 For my previous project, my inspirations began with an aesthetic I wanted, and then I used materials that were given to me.  It felt mildly disastrous, given that I hadn’t factored in any contingency plans, and the materials continuously acted differently than I had expected.  Due to so many surprises from the first project, I…

1 – Ability to woodwork My first constraint is my ability to woodwork; or rather, my lack of ability. For this project, I am not just learning a new skill but attempting to master it – all in a couple months.  I took the woodworking workshop at the Idea Forge, and using the tools seems…

My main project inspiration is to create something “useful.” I’m leaning towards woodworking to make a piece of furniture.  I’m apprehensive because I’ve never made furniture before, and haven’t worked with wood outside of undergrad school tours, over 5 years ago.   As of now, I’m sticking with my plan of woodworking and some type of…

   My midterm project inspiration was based on an aesthetic, but I ran into so many obstacles that I’m trying a completely different approach.  This time I’m making materials and my final object a priority. I want to make something I’ll be proud of, and will use after the class is over.  Since I moved…

  My final result project is a northern lights inspired candle holder/cover.  The change from a sun-catcher to a candle cover stemmed from two events; a classmates blog post suggestion and candles I’ve been gifted.  Someone suggested I add water to my project, to help capture as well as disperse sunlight. I loved this suggestion,…

My biggest hurdle so far is determining the final shape of my project.  I originally imagined a spherical sun catcher, but since I’m breaking glass and other materials with a hammer, I am unable to make any geometrically symmetric shape. I’m aiming for an ornament resembling a sphere, so there will be no sharp edges…

I felt lost when first assigned this project.  Without a set of constraints, I had trouble narrowing down materials, what to make, and where to start. I looked at what I recycle in my house, but there’s only junk mail, some cardboard, and food compost.  Neither the paper nor the cardboard sparked any creativity, and…

Biomimicry, or biomimetics, is the study and imitation of nature for the purpose of solving human problems.   The idea of biomimetics reaches all the way back to Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), who drew flying machines based off of the study of bats. The concept of biomimetics was developed in America in the 1950s, by Otto…