Little Houses on the Black River

2006-10-23T19:35:00.000-04:00

LITTLE HOUSES ON THE BLACK RIVER

2006-10-23T19:16:00.000-04:00

LITTLE HOUSE

2006-10-23T19:12:00.000-04:00

DETAILS

WET UNIT

/>

2006-10-23T10:23:00.000-04:00

FINAL PROTOTYPE IN MOTION

HALLEFORS OPENING JUNE 2006

2006-06-21T09:36:00.000-04:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION HALLEFORS JUNE 06

2006-06-21T09:15:00.000-04:00

in situ

2006-05-25T05:47:00.000-04:00

ICFF Booth

2006-05-23T00:16:00.000-04:00

Deck Section

2006-05-12T11:16:00.000-04:00

st-é's cabin

2006-05-11T16:03:00.000-04:00

More space at Konstfack

2006-05-09T16:03:00.000-04:00

Hi!
I have now booked two studios for the prefabrication week additional to the workshop presented earlier (pic 1). They are both some 7x8 m and are next to each other. The "bottle neck" transportationvise is the door (pic 2). It measures W 1.9m, H 2.4m. The passage from the workshop/loading bridge to the studios is about 20m and is min 1.9m wide.

/Teo

Konstfack outdoor area shelter

2006-05-05T09:26:00.000-04:00

Hej,
here are some infos on the shelter we thought of developing.
We’re aiming to realize a skeleton that would take 5 to 10 minutes to erect (pic 1). This skeleton will support a series of arched components that will hook simply over the top beam. Each component has a wood frame and will have a “skin” of a material that will provide shelter to weather. We’re deciding in these days what kind of material we could use for the skin. Yesterday during the phone conference you mentioned a textile company that would sponsor the project. Could you give us more details about it? Would they sponsor only with a specific textile or would we get the chance to chose from their range?
To make the shelter cope with the movement of the houses, we need to know how often you think your houses would move along the bridge so that we can factor this in the design.
Hej då!
The Konstfack team.

Konstfack products sketches

2006-05-05T05:55:00.000-04:00

Hej everybody,
here are some 3d and sketches of the products we're developing. As you already know our project is rather conceptual, based on developing outdoor products keeping them as analogue and simple as possible, and following our initial discussions on how outdoor cooking and living is a complete different experience from cooking indoors. Although we go on with this conceptual side we definitely want our prototypes to be working for Hallefors, so this is obviously taking us a lot of time with the engineering and functional development. As said yesterday during the conference call, we're realizing this line of products so that they can be used independently of each other, as nowadays camping products do. We're NOT developing a traditional high-functionality "one piece" kitchen, instead our products can stand on any flat surface.

First of all, the stove, the product that we've been mostly working on, due to all the engineering complications and legal matters. We're keeping on working back and forth with Primus on it, to ensure it would still be a functional product. In the bigger pictures you see one of our latest design, while in the collage you can see some of the other developments we've also been working on.
The inner part with the burner measures approx. 7 cm, the cross is around 20*20 cm. A gas tube will connect this stove to the gas bottle. We're working on a way to connect more stoves to the same gas bottle, in order to be able to cook bigger meals too.

Regarding the lighting we've been developing products that would take a step away from the way outdoors lights are developed nowadays. We decided to use the formal language of classic indoors lights in order to give a strong recognition of the function and the way the lamp has to be used, and play with the displacement of this language moved in a outdoor context.
The ambient light will be probably 100 to around 130 cm high. We're deciding between two versions, both using the same kind of light-source: gas lighting with mantle incandescence reaction, to give a light with the highest performance possible. One version would have the gas bottle in the base of the lamp and the gas light inside the shade, while the second one would contain the gas bottle directly hidden inside the shade too, to enhance the connection with traditional indoors lamps. We're working on the way to light on and off the lamp and control the amount of light given, experimenting the most analogical solutions.
There will be also a table lamp, using also the gas-mantle technology.

About the sink we've developed a product that can be used in places where main water is available (not the case of Hallefors) with a particular kind of clip that can be probably mounted on any kind of bucket. We want to preserve the typology of the bucket. The main focus is to turn any bucket into a sink, so we're concentrating on how the tap connects connects to the sink. Whether there is no running water, the bucket can be used in its traditional way (eg. taking water from the river). In the images you can see some of the clips we've been working on.

The table is a simple trestle construction. The table top is a scaled up version of a chopping board. We're realizing also a table cloth in glass-fiber that will be used for cooking instead of eating on it: the material characteristics make it perfect for using it as a base for the burner, to ensure a perfect isolation with the table surface. The measures will be around 80*120 cm and around 80 cm high. We'll discuss on the eventuality of having add-on wheels to the table legs, but we''d like to get the exact measures of the rails you're planning to build for the houses

If you think of using some of these products directly for the wet unit it's fine for us, but you'll have to keep in mind that, although working, they may not have the same kind of functionalities of traditional indoors equipments, because of the fact they're for an outdoor use and for the conceptual twist we decided to give them.

I'll post as soon as possible infos on the shelter. One of my colleagues that focused on the development of the shelter is at his job this morning. As soon as he'll get free we'll post you some material.
If you have any question don't hesitate to mail us or post questions on the blog!
Let's keep in touch for the monday conference,

All the best,
Hej då :)
Andrea & the Konstfack team.

2006-05-04T16:27:00.000-04:00

This fabric has been donated to us for the ICFF. It is part of the Sumbrella collection from Donghia. The fabric features colorfast quality, making it ideal for use outdoors in summer. Although the picture appears brown/tan, the actual fabric we are using is lighter.
Applications: outdoor tarp/overhanging. outdoor furniture, tensile structures on deck.

2006-05-04T16:10:00.000-04:00

This fabric is made of vinyl coated polyester and is similar to fabrics used in outdoor seating or cushions on boats (stiff and durable). Notice the fold.
Applications: screens for windows and as room deviders, potentially also used to upholster outdoor furniture.
Name: Allegory
Style Number: WC865/11

materials

2006-05-04T16:09:00.000-04:00

This fabric will be used in upholstery (seating, cushions, etc.). It is soft, durable, flame retardant.
Name: Tailor Made
Style Number: W133/4Color:Birch

can be found online at www.knolltextiles.com

The workshop in Stockholm

2006-05-03T18:15:00.000-04:00

This is the workshop that you will have access to during the prefabrication week in Stockholm. I am trying to book an additional studio as well for assembly check etc.
The gentleman on the picture is Jan Andersson, the technician that will help you. You can reach him at +46 8 450 41 95 or jan.andersson@konstfack.se

This is the machinery that will be available. There will also be some smaller hand machines like drills and saws.

All Best,

/Teo

The House that Parson's Built

2006-05-03T15:03:00.000-04:00

Here is the house that we constructed before we were kicked out of the gallery April 21st. This is pretty much how it will look at the ICFF, except at the ICFF, we plan on having graphics on the exterior, and a flip book that really enhances the speed of our construction process. Right now we are focusing on improvements on construction and we are developing ideas for the interiors. Also, St. Etienne and Konstfack, we haven't heard from you in a while and we'd like to know if you have any more questions about measurements and meeting points and such.

News from Konstfack

2006-04-26T13:36:00.000-04:00

Hej everybody,
some news about our work here in Stockholm!
After having already developed some ideas we had a meeting with the R&D and the Product managers of Primus, a leader company in outdoor products (www.primus.se). They showed particular interest in being involved and sponsoring us with their deep competence (they're a company more than 100 years' old): they'll support us with the development in the technical side of our products, even modifying, if necessary, these engineered parts to fulfill our purposes.
To give you a clearer idea of what we're up to, we're prioritizing the development of the following products: gas stoves, lighting, shelter system. In case of availability (mainly of time and money) we intend to complement this range with other related products (eg. tables).
We hope everything is going on fine in NY and St.Etienne!
All the best

Andrea & the Konstfack team.

To St. Etienne

2006-04-25T22:39:00.000-04:00

This is a schematic drawing of various building positions on the bridge. We (St Etienne and Parsons) need to compare notes on where we are placing our shared table and also our ideas about other openings on the wall.

We want to include a sliding door on the center wall where the houses meet so we were wondering if this will work with your design?

Exact dimensions for the door are to be determined. As of now, it would be helpful to see your schematics. Be in touch-- Thanks and looking forward to see your work --THE PARSONS TEAM.

Team Intro

2006-04-24T11:43:00.000-04:00

Better late than never !

larger drawing from st-é

2006-04-19T08:42:00.000-04:00

robert told me that you need a larger drawing, here it is but an illustrator .eps file was send by email to robert, might be better - it is not possible to upload a 300 ppp 25 cm wide drawing i think and vector drawing is the one to be enlarged.

OUR FEATURE IN METROPOLIS

2006-04-19T07:14:00.000-04:00

Metropolis Magazine has chosen to feature Parson's in their ICFF 2006 Preview. On page 114 in this month's issue, you can see work from the fall semester which demonstrates our experiments with furniture, laser cutting, and elaborate windows. More to come.

our workshop is smaller than yours

2006-04-18T06:44:00.000-04:00

We also have a special place where the little house prototype might become real, it's smaller than yours, but we built the handrail !!!

by the way : could you give us the mesurement of your prototype (how high is it ?) and where are supposed to be the communicating windows on the crossing side, please.

we have a meeting today, these information we need !

keep the pressure !

jibé

A Floor At Last

2006-04-17T21:54:00.000-04:00

With less than a week left to spend in the very huge gallery space (which we will really miss), the group has been making progress in construction. On Saturday, more material was delivered and a floor was constructed in about four hours. After developing a plan for the roof system, we will begin building the roof tomorrow and Wednesday. As for the inside of the house, its beginning to feel like home! Not only do we spend most of our time there, but also we have created some atmosphere with the addition of a loft bed and some pillows that were left behind in the gallery. Decisions as to how the openings will work for the ICFF are yet to be made, but we have more or less decided where the window and table will be in relation to the bed. It's going to be a busy week before Friday, but at least there's a bed now if anyone needs to rest.

TOP VIEW WITH COMPASS

2006-04-14T18:20:00.000-04:00

Above picture is top view of our site with a compass to give us a sense of direction of the site.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2006-04-14T18:07:00.001-04:00

This is the group assembling the panel system to create our first full scale prototype.
We've divided out groups into interiors, construction, and material research group in order to get the most out of our given time in our dedicated studio.

Almost Feels Like Home....

2006-04-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

This week we finished assembling our panels at last! After a week of cutting, re-cutting, gluing, and stapling, the panels were completed and on Wednesday night, all four walls were standing. With the walls standing (and one opening), the group has begun discussing a roof system, ventillation, and most importantly, openings. On Thursday, we met in class to discuss all of those important decisions, along with materials, interiors, and our display at the ICFF. While the Friggebod will certainly be finalized in Sweden, it needs to look ready for the ICFF. This weekend some of us will focus our attention on constructing a roof, while some of us work on layout, graphics, and technicalities for the ICFF. Any suggestions? (There are pictures that will show you proof of our standing walls, but my camera cord is not co-operating at the moment. Please forgive me for the delay)

St-Etienne Design Squad

2006-04-12T03:53:00.000-04:00

students :
- Émile STOCLIN - 2d year
- Pinar DEMIRDAG - 2d year
- SYLVAIN ROCHE - 3d year
- Nicolas ROESH - 4th year
- Arnaud BOSSOLINI - 5th year
+ .... another student unknown yet.

instructor-manager :
Jean-Bastien SAVET

Guest star :
Claude-Etienne TARDY

Internationnal relashionships :
Josyanne FRANC

New Renderings

2006-04-11T17:29:00.000-04:00

2006-04-11T16:25:00.000-04:00

2006-04-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

2006-04-11T10:16:00.000-04:00

2006-04-11T10:08:00.000-04:00

2006-04-11T10:01:00.000-04:00

2006-04-11T09:26:00.000-04:00

2006-04-11T09:09:00.000-04:00

pictures from st-etienne powerpoint

2006-04-11T06:25:00.000-04:00

(nico is going to upload more pictures from the presentation powerpoint)

Making the panels

2006-04-10T20:48:00.000-04:00

various wooden frames, soon to be.... A FRIGGEBOD!!!

The panels consist of a simple frame made of four pieces, and two sheets of homassote board. All of the cuts have been pre made, and the panels will be fixed together in an assembly line on Tuesday at 6:00PM NY time.

CALENDARS AND CORNERS

2006-04-10T20:20:00.000-04:00

The group decides to build their first full scale mock-up using the panel system on the left. While gathering around the rejected panel system, students agree that the "offset panel system" on the left is more effiecient and more exciting than the one on the right. The calender that is seen below, is a constant reminder of the tight ship that we run here in Parsons New York.

Important fixtures. Important dates. Important arrows.

interesting image

2006-04-10T20:04:00.000-04:00

nice idea for outdoor space

Life Outdoors Keywords & Moodboards _ Konstfack

2006-04-10T14:18:00.000-04:00

Our project started with some reflections based on a research of the outdoor products market, focusing on cooking facilities.
Cooking outdoors leads to a completely different experience to preparing food indoors. Often more of a social activity, it becomes the real focus of the eating experience. The act of preparation rises in importance, being more of a performance than just a tool to prepare food.
This led us to the formulation of the following keywords and moodboards, on which we’ll base our concepts.

SIMPLE:
Today’s behaviour in kitchens is often to overload the facilities with high quality/high tech products. We think that only the basic functions are really necessary when cooking outdoors.

UTILITY
Our concepts should express their functions as simply as possible, in the way utility products do.
The shape and the colours should enhance the meaning of functions, instead of hiding them. We are taking inspiration from industrial products, where the functions are enhanced and strongly visualized through form and colours.

ANALOGUE
There’s no need of going for high-tech solutions when there are analogue ones that fulfill the same functions, with the strength that they enhance the relationship between the user and the product.

FUN:
Cooking should in this case be a pleasure, even in case of a reduction of functionality. Our solution should be fun to use and more involving for the people, being the act of cooking outdoors associated with social activities and (hopefully) good weather.

RE-THINK:
We want to challenge people’s perception of what an outdoor kitchen should be and offer.

FRESH:
We want to move away from the cliché of the BBQ being the cooking facility outdoors
(people associate outdoor kitchens with dirt and grease).

map

2006-04-10T14:02:00.000-04:00

picture from st-etienne powerpoint

2006-04-10T13:57:00.000-04:00

pictures from jibé

2006-04-10T13:54:00.000-04:00

pictures from jibé

2006-04-10T13:50:00.000-04:00

Life Outdoors brief _ from Konstfack

2006-04-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

Hej everyone,
Here is the brief we created to develop our project.
Good reading!

the Konstfack team

New Logo

2006-04-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

Please note that we posted the new logo on the blog.
This was due to a request from our press department, who are currently working on a publication for the ICFF in May.
We all felt that the original design was too busy and needed simplifying to be used for different applications.
Please note that we specified Pantone colors: Red 18-1550 TP and Black 19-3906 TP.
You can download the logo directly from the blog or we can send it to you by e-mail.

The Parsons Team.

2006-04-10T09:58:00.000-04:00

new illustration of units moving on the bridge

2006-04-10T09:45:00.000-04:00

industrial background

2006-04-10T09:09:00.000-04:00

2006-04-10T05:26:00.000-04:00

hello everyone !

Some news from St-Etienne : our complete team has started to work on the project.
We work on a virtual floor and wall drawed sleeping unit platform scale 1.
Could you New-Yorkers tell us if exists a maximum hight (if it's fixed) we have this 4 metter hight max that seems a lot !

also, Nara do you have the exact mesurement and place of the "tables-windows" to fix the connexion.

thanx !

St-Etienne team.

New LOGO YES!

2006-04-10T00:54:00.000-04:00

NEW LOGO 5B

PANTONE COLORS

RED
PANTONE
18-1550 TP

BLACK
PANTONE
19-3906 TP

Hard at Work

2006-04-08T22:23:00.000-04:00

We now have the school gallery as our space to work on the project. Although temporarily, we are trying to get the most out of this rare chance to inhabit a large space in New York.

Currently, we are working on a construction system consisting of square panels and corner brackets made from Homasote and plywood. Our first mock-up will be complete by Sunday.

Project Summary

2006-04-07T20:22:00.000-04:00

Little Houses on the Black River

The Little Houses on the Black River project marks a new collaboration among three design schools – Parsons The New School for Design, St. Etienne School of Art and Design, and Konstfack University College of Arts, Craft and Design – to design and install a cluster of artist-in-residence dwellings for the House of Design in Hallefors, Sweden. These dwellings explore tactics of sustainability, methods of production and assembly, and community engagement, housing artists and scholars during their stay at the House of Design (opened November 2005). The site for the project is an abandoned train bridge over the Black River; the aim is to rehabilitate this valuable infrastructure and stimulate alternative modes of temporary inhabitation, providing a new facet for the House of Design and a valuable attraction for the town and its visitors.
Parsons is guiding the project as part of a year-long junior level design studio in Product Design. Students from Parsons and St. Etienne will design and build two resting/sleeping cars (one each) that can be rolled into different positions along the bridge, inviting visitors to create various dwelling configurations. There will also be a fixed “service car” at the entrance to the bridge, forming a gatehouse that will incorporate cooking, bathing and w.c. facilities: this structure is being designed as an unprecedented collaboration among faculty and students from Parsons and St. Etienne. (During winter months, when the dwellings are uninhabited, the dwellings will be “docked” into the service car and all will be covered as one complete unit.) Meanwhile, students from Konstfack are designing and prototyping the provisions that visitors will use during their visit – these products will provide opportunities for visitors to reflect on the nature and impact of their personal dwelling habits.
On various thematic levels, this project is about creating a Meeting Point. The train bridge is itself a literal meeting point over the Black River, its tracks offering a reminder of the town’s industrial heritage (steel and logging) and opportunities for revitalization, through the imaginative reuse of existing infrastructures by new institutions and community-centered initiatives. The dwellings will also provide a meeting point for visiting artists to the House of Design, as well as with members of the community. More generally, the site and design problem offers a project-based meeting point for students and faculty of Parsons, St. Etienne, and Konstfack, under the auspices of the House of Design – a collaboration, it is hoped, that will continue indefinitely.
Drawing from the unique resources available in the community of Hallefors, the students will devise structures that explore tactics of sustainability. On one level, this exploration has considered local materials and manufacturing and immediate site conditions. On a more subtle level, this project has centered on the notion of sustainability as communal engagement, in its fabrication, use and life cycle, expanding on the House of Design’s vision of learning through design. It is hoped that local residents – not only visitors – will be able to spend time in the dwellings, to experience the site and their own personal living habits from new perspectives. There is also the shared hope that this project generates a new tradition for students and faculty from Parsons, St. Etienne, and Konstfack – a sustained collaboration with the House of Design and the Hallefors community that periodically revisits and revitalizes these convivial goals and structures.

studio space

2006-04-06T17:32:00.000-04:00

2006-04-06T15:05:00.001-04:00

ICFF deadlines

2006-04-06T15:05:00.000-04:00

12th May -shipping deadline
19th May 8am-5pm set up booth # 1183
20th-23rd May-ICFF show 10-5pm

The dates listed above are the approaching deadlines for the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in May. Students have been working to prepare an exhibit for this show, and are preparing examples of the construction methods they will be using on the site in Hallefors, Sweden. Parsons will display a full scale prototype of the dweling and furnishings that will be built in Sweden in June. The other half of the dwelling to be constructed on the bridge, designed by St. Etienne, will be displayed as a smaller model on a 1/20 scale bridge. The combination of these two displays should illustrate how Parson's and St. Etienne's dwellings will correspond on the bridge site in Hallefors, and will allow viewers to have a better sense of the space.

New illustrations

2006-04-05T10:35:00.000-04:00

Here are some of our latest sketches on modular connections for the wall units and the three units on the bridge. The sketches are dated April 1-3. Today, April 5, we begin construction of a full scale model based on decisions that came from yesterdays meeting on connectivity, modularity and elements of the wall section. The structure will be assembled by this Saturday, and further advances in openings (windows and doors)will be discussed and designed. It would be helpful to see and communicate concept developments of St. Etienne's dwelling. More images coming soon. --slm

Parsons Team Duties

2006-04-04T15:27:00.000-04:00

Model Making Responsibilities:
Bridge- Joe, Jeon Mi
Dwelling- Mauricio, Nicholas, Alex
Wet Unit- Veronica, Jeon Mi

ICFF Communication:
Kim, Joe, Mauricio

Graphics:
Alex, Joe, Sara

Publishing (progress catalouged via blog + e-mail):
Sara, Veronica, Nara, Alex, Kim

Initial site rendering

2006-03-29T23:17:00.000-05:00

Hello all~!
Above renderings are Parsons' initial schematics of the site in Sweenden. General schematics have been altered and developed eversince posted renderings have been made but it would be good to keep record of our past work to see how this project develops.
Updated schematics and renderings will be posted soon.
lets all keep up the good work !

-Alex, (Parsons)

2006-03-29T10:52:00.000-05:00

Brainstorming

2006-03-28T19:31:00.000-05:00

Meeting

2006-03-28T19:16:00.000-05:00

Bridge Model

2006-03-28T19:13:00.000-05:00

2006-03-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

2006-03-13T13:40:00.000-05:00