Designboom Design Competition -Social Awareness Award 2006 “Shelter in a Cart” progetto sviluppato con l'arch. Inaco Conforzi

 

INTODUCTION

Personal considerations, motivations and expectations.

First and foremost an applause to Designboom for holding this social awareness design competition and for the use of internet to generate a global design community; I am certain that the use of ICT technology will have the extraordinary power in recruiting world-wide positive consensus in support of such an honourable cause.

As a newsletter sub-scriber, I read through a few notes on the competition's role and immediately decided to enter it, hoping to contribute positively to the event.

As an Architect, I have always been aware of the social problems related to urban and social home planning, although my professional experience and background are mainly related to luxury yachts and pleasure craft design. Sometimes, in this area, we are asked to give shape and form even to the most useless or unrealistic ideas, for the sole purpose of materializing a fortunate man's legitimate dream.

Bearing this in mind and moving down to the bottom of the social scale, I feel bound by my profession and spirit of social aid, to offer my contribution to this issue in trying to give shape and consistency to a definitely more useful and realistic dream ( A SHELTER IN A CART) of a surely less fortunate man i.e. a homeless man.  

CONCEPT DESIGN

(File 1)

In Abstract

The competition's request - “design a cart that can provide shelter and storage”- pointed out to us the five basic elements which acted as seedling to generate

our concept design. They are namely:

•  A shopping or baggage trolley,

•  A foldable deck chair or camping-cot,

•  A lightweight easy-mount tent,

•  A suitcase or kit-bag,

•  A survival kit.

 

The main idea was to provide an object with caracteristics such as, maximum flexibility, easy mount and maintanance, durability and production feasability to attend to the four major requested functions, which are:

•  The collection and transport of small items; ( easy-towing lightweight cart, flexible volume trolley and good road performance including parking lights).

•  To provide shelter and bedding; (Weather-proof canopy tent, sleeping bag and personal comfort items, e.g dynamo/rechargebale battery system for walkman FM radio/Lcd TV, LED nightlight).

•  To Provide storage for personal belongings and a survival kit; ( Clothes, dried food meals, water and washing kit).

•  Identification and monitoring; ( Colour scheme and embedded electronic Chip as Cart ID, as anti-theft, as identificaton during distribution of social aid parcels etc.).

•  Three steps to generate the concept design

•  Analysis and Research - Brainstorming, internet search and memory flash images.

•  Design Parameters - Materials, basic dimensions, important details, durability and performance.

•  Production Implications - Prototype, mass production, cost analysis.  

DESIGN

(File 2) & (File 3)

•  Basic design - Plan, side and front views.

•  Technical details - Principal structure, tent, sleeping-cot, trunk, wheels, steering, push, pull or cycle arrangement - 2, 3 or 4 wheels, breaks and antitheft identification embedded micro-chipset.

•  Renderings

•  Production Technology – CE Quality standard - Recycled thermoplastic

Compression moulding - Principally polymerised thermo set compounds, usually pre-formed, is positioned in a heated mould cavity; the mould is closed (heat and pressure are applied) and the material flows and fills the mould cavity. Heat completes polymerisation and the part is ejected. The process is sometimes used for thermoplastics. Little material waste is attainable; large, bulky parts can be moulded; process is adaptable to rapid automation (racetrack techniques, etc.)

Injection moulding - Very widely used. High automation of manufacturing is standard practice. Thermoplastic or thermo set is heated to plasticity in cylinder at controlled temperature, then forced under pressure through a nozzle into sprues, runners, gates, and cavities of mould. The resin undergoes solidification rapidly, the mould is opened, and the part ejected. High production runs, low labour costs, high reproducibility of complex details, and excellent surface finish.

Transfer moulding -Related to compression and injection moulding processes. Thermo set moulding compound is fed from hopper into a transfer chamber where it is then heated to plasticity; it is then fed by a plunger through sprues, runners, and gates into a closed mould where it cures; mould is opened and part ejected. Good dimensional accuracy, rapid production rate, and very intricate parts can be produced.

CONCLUSIONS

Participating to this design competition has revealed itself a most challenging and extrordinary professional experience and in a certain way, with its high social awareness impact profile, has made me feel better!