Thursday 11 December 2008

This was more of my research into working sundials, which proved to be very interesting. This short video shows the time change from half ten through to half eleven.

This was a DIY compass I made for research into my Ponoko project. My project is looking at making the sundial a more portable and functional object. Part of the function of a sundial is for it to point in the direction of north. This is one of the simplest ways to find north. Magnetize a nail or pin by rubbing it with a woollen fabric, place it on a piece of paper in a shallow pool of water, then just sit back and watch it work.

Thursday 4 December 2008


This is another example of the type of work possible from our Ponoko project. It is a light shade designed from flat sheets of laminate which can be constructed without any tools.
Lars Contzen (Germany)

This is a lamp shade by Birgit Østergaard was made from a long flat sheet of wood, although when constructed it makes an attractive three dimensional form which in essence is what we are trying to achieve for the Ponoko project.

This is one example of work by interior designer Louwrien Kaptein (Netherlands).
His flat pack work ties in well with the current project I am working on for university.
My current university project involves working with Ponoko, a New Zealand based mini-manufacturing community, the project asks us to design, visualise, prototype and produce an “open-source design” for the office garden or design studio.
For my project I am looking at time, in particular time as a constraint on the office or design studio. Initially I wanted to make a sundial for the Garden and through my research and observation I have noticed that sundials in general are; large, heavy, solid, fixed, sculptural and complicated. This has inspired me to try and challenge the perception of a sundial and turn it into something entirely different which would work witin the constraints of an office or design studio.