Consumer waste - Nespresso Capsules

 

Nespresso Citiz - Image : www.nespresso.com

So I'm not going to lie and say I do not use the DeLonghi Citiz Nespresso coffee machine. We have one at home and its quite a useful machine. Before we had this we found that the grounded coffee we used went off quite quickly as you would open a bag and then use a sufficient amount for that session, the rest would be static until the next coffee. 

Now each coffee has a dedicated capsule, developed by Nestle. The capsules come in many different aromas. For each coffee, the chromed lid is opened and a capsule is placed inside. The lid is then pushed down which in the same action the capsule is pierced ready for water to flow through from the water reservoir. 

Once the combined water and coffee has stopped pouring. The capsule can now be dropped into the capsule bay below. I must reinforce that the capsule is still intact, but just with holes on the top foil head and 4 main holes on the end. There is one massive downside to this, that is the used coffee is still confined to the capsule. What is the user going to do? Put it in the rubbish bin onwards to the landfill or individually cut each one open and scrape the coffee out for the organic waste bin in the backyard (Which I did do, see below for pictures)......We all know that answer, rubbish bin sadly. A lot of these capsules around the world would end up in the landfill. Where the coffee will enter the stream of toxic, contaminated waste.

Where as it could be waste that equals food. Food for the environment. What ones waste should equals another food. The coffee could be put in with the organic waste bin and degrade with other food waste and then be cycled through out the garden. Cradle to Cradle, Remaking the way we make things by William McDonough & Michael Braungart highlights the need for this sort of thinking.

I understand why the capsule was developed. It keeps the machine clean and mess free. It also makes the process of making a coffee very efficient. But for the sake of convenience it fulfills one need and creates two problems on the other end.

The worms are going to love this, coffee overload

It took a while to cut every single one open!

Fringe Furniture Opening Night 2013

So with a bigger than large lead up to the open night for the whole of Melbourne Fringe Festival and Fringe Furniture the night has got the ball rolling and its now time to enjoy all the acts and performances ahead!



So from memory Awards wise.

Emerging Designer Award : Rory Davenport - Pull Legs

Best Lighting Design Award: Andre Hnatojko & Dale Hardiman - Polly Popper Light



I can't quite remember the other awards but I will edit them in when I get a chance!



So I managed to get my revised Threaded Out Chair done and ready for show! Check out the pictures below. I redesigned the backrest so its was easier to put together and cheaper as well. Also Matt Harding and I have a light in the exhibit called Lumen. So if your in Abbotsford come check it all out!

Harvey likes the Chair!

Matt setting up Lumen!

Fracture Speaker

 

Serving Boards for Seagulls Greek Taverna

So today I drove to Frankston to drop off 15 serving boards for the newly renovated Seagulls Greek Taverna. It took me two weeks on and off with University in full swing. I spent my days off doing one process at a time.

It open tomorrow! 4th of September! If you are around the area, go experience it, it will be worth it.

I made them out of Victorian Ash. I glued up 3 lengths for each board, used 20mm biscuits for location and ease of gluing. This will allow the boards to stay flat with the constant wet and dry environment. Titebond III was used for its waterproof  and its FDA (FoodSafe) properties. Ubeaut Foodsafe Mineral Oil was used for the boards, as most  other food safe oils generally are nut based products. And I'm sure that won't go down well with patrons in the restaurant that have allergies.

 

Pull Legs - Rory Davenport

Pull legs is a design which gives proper versatility to platform in space. Which is basically the concept of the humble table. Instead of designing a table that was totally static with no ability to be flexible with its usage in its intended environment, Pull legs takes the instilled notion that all table tops are flat, which they are. God help us if this changes.

Any board whether that be Plywood, Solid timber or even say a Aluminium sheet can be placed in between the leg openings and located into place.  Even if it wasn't intended it could work...

I really think the tension rope from corner to corner is a good addition for structural rigidity. The natural cotton cord gives a subtle texture difference between the plywood and the mild steel rod which works well.



Materials  

24mm Birch plywood tops.
Powder coated 12mm Mild steel round bar
2mm waxed cotton cord wound (blue)


Production

Manually bent with 2 bar benders and fitted to templates in several sections, each loop is 4 sections then butted together and welded, then each loop is joined to its partner.  joints are linished smooth and sandblasted. All mild steel rod sections are powder coated and 2mm cotton cord is wrapped tightly around the bar and glued into the bar.  


Rory said that in future production, the mild steel rod sections will be CNC bent. And also looking into replacing the cotton cord with a EDPM rubber to give the ends of the legs grip on the floor. 

Illume Initiative - Boat Builders Yard Melbourne

I just stumbled across this initiative run by the Boat Builders Yard which is a bar/cafe in South Warf, Melbourne. I've actually been here before and its in a prime location and does some awesome food and drinks! 



 

Daisylegs Design Studio - First work for Illume Installation

Daisylegs Design Studio

What It Is
‘The Illume Initiative’ is a project that has been created for art, photography and design students who are looking to get exposure and real work experience in Melbourne.


The Aim
The aim of the project is to create a design for the windows of the outdoor bar at The Boatbuilders Yard. The successful design will be printed on vinyl and backlit so that when the bar is closed the artwork is illuminated and projected into the venue.


Why
The successful applicant will receive $1,000 cash and have their artwork displayed on approx. 20sq. meters of highly visible space (see above image) for six months. All costs of materials and installation of the artwork will be paid for by The Boatbuilders Yard.


When
The event will be held twice a year and short-listed applicants will have the opportunity to present their concepts and designs to representatives from The Boatbuilders Yard.


Application
To apply you must be currently enrolled at a University or TAFE.
This rounds applications open on the 1^st of June 2013 and close on 31^st August 2013.
To apply, please send a portfolio of 4 pieces of existing work and an A3 concept design of what you would like to create, to illume.tby@gmail.com


The Final Design Must
- Keep the Boatbuilders Yard’s wharf/industrial aesthetic
- Be a design appropriate for a light box
- Elicit a cooling feeling for the summer months
- Be conscious of the environment: we are surrounded by water and trees
- Be considerate to our clientele
- Be able to be printed on these dimensions

 All the above information and pictures were sourced from : 

illumeinitiative.wordpress.com

Amass Workshop - Progress Update 4 - Finished!

Finally, the workshop has been completed. This last progress post will just show the last few things that we had to do to get it all done. 

First off a proper bench had to be made and installed into the width of the workshop up against the wall. This bench is also quite high, 900mm or so off the ground. This will add years to my back. 

Got some Cypress from Bunnings which suited the posts for bench. It was quite green so machining it up on the Joiner/Thicknesser was quite smooth and easy.  

Cut some slots to determine the halving joint for the cross beams that will run the length of the work bench. Then cleaned up the joint with the chisel.

Two posts to take the weight of the bench along with the wall supports.

No glue used, just a nice tight fit and screwed together.

 Then fitted in some particle board shelves and the top cross beams. After that I got my hands on some 38mm particle board desk tops which were perfect for this bench from a job in the city. They would have otherwise ended up in the tip with everything else. 


Now here is the pictures of the finished job. Added some MDF doors as I realized that the storage shelves were being covered in saw dust.

Added some shelves on the brick wall. These shelves hold all the consumables and tools that I need quick access to when in the workshop.

 Here is the first machine to bless the workshop. It is a JET JPT-310 combination Joiner/Thicknesser. This beast is a beauty, especially with the helical head cutters which have tungsten carbide blades instead of the typical High Strength Steel straight blades.

I hooked it up to a 2HP Dust extractor. Something that can handle it. The dust bags fill up very quickly. And I have not thrown out any of the shavings as I have a plan for them.

I want to create a closed loop system. And channel the waste back into a neat product.

Mahogany Gum up in the truss work, Storage

This is my favourite part of the workshop, Gable doors for storage

Open these bad boys during summer and the temperature drops so much!

Got a sweet view of the storage on the truss work.

So after the summer of 2012 / 2013 and until only recently. The workshop and everything needed has been made. I'll get a picture of the front of the workshop and upload it on this post later. This is the last post of the workshop I hope you are inspired. Peace out.

National Tree Day - Australia 2013

National Tree Day is next Sunday on the 28th of July and this gives us and our communities a chance to give back to the land we live on. Trees are biological filters which remove harmful carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen fluorides and chlorofluorocarbons from the atmosphere as well as consuming the particulates created from combustion engines.
Although trees still need clean air to properly grow. But all trees have a limit of how much pollutants they can deal with, most of the time the trees lifespan is drastically decreased in large polluted cities.

Melbourne is one of Australia's largest cities and there are so many positives to be living near such a great city. But it also comes with some negatives such as pollution. During the Winter months I can see the smog that builds up over the city skyline, it is absolutely disgusting to know all of us contribute to this ever increasing problem.  

So if you live in the area of Camberwell, Burwood, Glen Iris, Surrey hills in Melbourne and your keen to help out with this group then just follow the link and register.


Tools are provided, but just ring the organizer to make sure there is enough. Also there is going to be a BBQ!! 



RSVP to: Robert Brierley Phone: 0400077439

http://treeday.planetark.org/site/10000557

Vivid - Furnitex 2013

So after day two of Furnitex at Melbourne Exhibition centre the amount of people that has come through has been consistent and steady which is good! And there is still two days to go until it comes to an end so come down and check it all out!

I took a few pictures of the Vivid (Vibrant Visions in Design) area of Furnitex which is the showcase of emerging, commercial and student categories of the exhibit. 

Last day of Vivid, get your vest on!