As part of my final practical for design, I received the topic `I see the future and it works`. So what is our future? Is it the possibility of a massive mechanised world with robots carrying out mans work or the fact that we could start migrating to places never before inhabited? But what about South Africa as a country? a country rich in cultures and diversity?
Well right around the corner is the FIFA World Cup Soccer right, so I thought why not live in the moment and do something to do with our country hosting this prestigious, and arguably probably the biggest sporting event in Africa.
As we know South Africa has a diverse makeup of cultures at any given place at any given time. From the Kaapse Klopse in the Cape to traditional tribesmen in the North. Not to mention all the avid soccer supporters in-between, be it for the Kaizer Chiefs, AmaZulus or Orlando Pirates or more importantly the Bafana Bafana.
One thing synonymous with African soccer is our atmosphere, created by a sense of belonging and unity. But then again there are other reasons. Take the Vuvuzela for instance, almost every avid soccer supporter has one, or even more recently the Kuduzela, now let’s take it even further- for the diehard fans the multi facetted Makarapa.
In this essay I will discuss the how the designs within the soccer community reflect the different cultural identities, and how they manifest a sense of heritage of customs and beliefs of various groups of people. Probably more importantly how the designs integrate traditional skills into newer forms of expression and passion.
Much controversy has been raised over instruments such as the Vuvuzela at soccer gatherings, such as that it poses health risks and such as a result of the noise produced. But lets face it, what would South African soccer be without the Vuvuzela? What sets South Africa apart from other countries? It`s the Vuvuzela, the crowds, the Kuduzelas, the hype, the Makarapa, the celebrations. As the British sing, so we blow our Vuvuzelas and Kuduzelas, it just has that African effect does it not. The effect that these cheap, dispensable horns have on our crowds and visitors alike is indescribable.
The Vuvuzela is said to be derived from the kudu horn that was blown in the rural areas in Southern Africa to call people to tribal gatherings. How much has changed? Not much, now much the same as then the blow of the Vuvuzela or Kuduzela signals the time of gathering and festivities. So essentially this simple instrument dates back centuries and forms part of our rich heritage. The fact that `Vuvuzela` means `to make noise` reiterates the fact that we are a jubilantly noisy nation, the louder the prouder as the saying goes.
Although we have witnessed this shift from the traditional kudu horn to the manufactured Vuvuzela we have now realised a new product, the Kuduzelas. Keeping with the tradition of an African theme whilst being able to manufacture products out of plastic, thereby making it accessible to all and obviously much cheaper as well.
Now how do these designs manifest a sense of heritage in people? Well firstly we are the only country or region that use Vuvuzelas, Kuduzelas and Makarapas. So we can be proud of being diverse and unique. As mentioned above, we are also a noisy nation, we take pride in what we stand for and our country. The louder the prouder, so owning a Vuvuzela would align us with the masses of others passionate about South Africa. We live in South Africa, and are fortunately surrounded by sanctuaries and game parks. We know what the deep trumpet of an elephant herd in the dusty evening sounds like. The sound of something greater than we are, of awe and majesty. There is something compelling about what we as South Africans can achieve through being united.
Let us now look into the fundamentals of the Makarapa and how it was conceived. The master mind behind the Makarapa was Alfred `Lux` Baloyi an avid Kaiser Chiefs supporter, who in 1979 attended a soccer derby. His friend a construction labourer allowed him to borrow his helmet to protect his head against missiles being thrown at the match. Baloyi, being somewhat artistic added some colour to the helmet and thus the Makarapa was born. From there on the Makarapa has been a fans favourite and will always be, as fans come out in hordes sporting their favourite teams colours and designs.
As I said above, these new forms of design reflect different cultural identities through bright vibrant colours of respective teams, as well as all the side paraphernalia such as the likes of traditional shields, fly swishes and dress. The colour scheme of the designs range from sunlight yellow to blood red, each colour representing an important aspect of our country, as in our national flag where green represents land and growth, while yellow represents the abundance of minerals.
If for instance we go to a soccer game, we will see hundreds, if not thousands of these designs synonymous with South Africa. But most of all we will see how each and every Makarapa, Vuvuzela, Kuduzela has a bit of authenticity or homely touch added to it, be it some paint, bottle tops or eccentric intricacies. Each design is unique and meaningful to the individuals who wear them and creates a sense pride in what they stand for.
We see that in many instances our designs of today are just a reinvention of yesteryear`s, or are simple yet effective additions to otherwise normal products. For instance the Makarapa, initially it was a hard builders hat that morphed into an international trend at sports events not to mention corporate uses. Even the Kuduzela, derived from the traditional kudu horn which has somewhat been phased out with the development of South Africa, yet once again people have gone back into the past and reincarnated instruments and objects unique to Africa and to celebration and success.
In a sense we can say that the jovial soccer supporters’ products are mementos of history of a naturally diverse and gifted land. We can also proudly say that they instil unity by allowing us as South Africans to come together and be unique in our own special way.
All in all I would like to say that we as South Africans are immensely proud of where we have come from to being the hosts of The Fifa Soccer World Cup. The designs of products that we use to show our support and loyalty are loud, vibrant and jovial. We are not ashamed to be extravagant and want to be the very best we can possibly be, even if it is just cheering our team on. Our many and often homemade designs are compelling in the way they reflect who we are, where we come from and what we believe in. The incorporation of various colours and patterns all mean something and manifest a sense of pride, unity and uniqueness which is evidence of our diversity of local customs. But most of all these designs are all somewhat old traditions that have fallen away and are now still being represented by what we do today, and turning traditional skills and customs of yesteryear into new and exciting forms of expressing here in South Africa.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Functionalism and Prefabrication
Adrian Hobson
Out with the old, shock of the new... (Functionalism and Prefabrication)
It is our human nature to always want to improve and better our standard of all things in life, and design is no different. This is the reason we still have designers to this day. As designers we feel the need to improve on what already exists and to simply make life easier.
But what does this have to do with functionalism and prefabrication? You would ask.
Functionalism and prefabrication are just two of the many ways we as designers have enabled ourselves to simplify and improve on what has already been achieved in the past. The two together allow us to complete tasks quicker, save on unnecessary and costly materials, labour and machinery and generally create a more ordered and simplified living space, with no unnecessary details and over the top eccentricities.
In this essay I will explore the two main topics, functionalism and prefabrication and their origins and then ultimately how they impacted on the years following by referring to prominent designers that incorporated these aspects into their design.
Functionalism and prefabrication in a sense create modern design, we can see this clearly by looking at the Bauhaus which was prominent from 1919-1933. The Bauhaus started using new materials and experimented with these new materials to create new and different effects, Bauhaus students were encouraged to design products and buildings that expressed simplicity, functionality, and cleanliness meaning no decoration was thought necessary. This in turn ultimately falls under the international style in around 1920-1960s. A well known figurehead during this era was Louis Sullivan who stated the well known phrase `Form ever follows function. `
Designers in this time period emphasised that if something was in a design it was there for a valid reason, either that it created convenience or simplicity or that it added enrichment to the design as a whole. The basic idea was to produce products or construct buildings purely for what they were intended for and nothing more, this meant all decorations and ornamentations were excluded as they had no function in the design, other than to be something to look at.
Before the modernistic approach to design we notice how most products and buildings were either one of a kind, very decorated and most probably constructed of materials that were available in the area. This obviously took much time as specially trained professionals were probably commissioned to construct certain parts of buildings which took both time and money. By designing more functional buildings and products this process could be cut out as the extra ornamentation would not be in the design as it did not serve a purpose.
This is where prefabrication comes into the equation. By feeling the need to simplify and reduce designs to their simplest form we see the introduction of new materials that have been pre-constructed for the convenience of the designer. These prefabricated materials reduced time spent on construction, and were very much more suited to the style of building, for example, Frank Lloyd Wright`s Falling Water House, where prefabricated materials make up certain parts of the cantilever structures, incorporated as a result of the increased strength and durability because of the fact that by prefabricating sections they could add much more steel than if they had been constructing the section on site with the use of structural supports.
Functionalism and prefabrication are generally more prominent in urban, built up areas, as the cities are cluttered, clarity and simplification are often sought after. In urban areas one often sees very plain blocks of flats with no exceptional details. We also notice how the majority of these flats are very similar. This is because functionalism and prefabrication have played their part. The point of the block of flats is to house the masses at the cheapest possible rate, thus the minimal detail. The reason the flats are generally the same is because most, if not all of them are comprised of prefabricated sections.
Prefabrication is used for a number of reasons including minimising waste of materials and being able to recycle materials readily, quality control, construction time is reduced as a result of mass production of components and products/buildings are completed sooner which in turn results in more projects being completed and thereby the more the industry involved witnesses a good development rate.
Functionalism and prefabrication also plays its part in emergency situations, such as in the United Kingdom after World War 2 when permanent housing was demolished as a result of the bombings, because of the fact that assembly is fast and costs are relatively low. Although functionalism and prefabrication played a part in the war, it was actually the war that ultimately created functionalism and prefabrication. I say this as in emergency situations such as the war, people are forced to make do without the finer details. We notice how there were material restrictions in place because most resources were being channelled into war efforts, this resulted in only the bare necessities being produced and at rapid rates as the soldiers and armies involved needed supplies/weapons/infrastructure.
Prefabrication was not merely limited to buildings only, though it is the most profound system of construction. Prefabrication ranged from the first Ford production line in 1908 to the assembly of computer components in this very day. As a result of this mass production many products are constructed in very short periods of time. This also results in products being more readily available to a customer which in turn sees an increase in sales.
Prefabrication has allowed designers to design and construct products and structures that before were impossible. Such as the likes of the House Arc by Joseph Bellomo from Palo Alto near San Francisco. Bellomo has designed a modular house, one that can easily be erected and taken down. The whole house is pre-designed and consists of light weight materials such as tubular steel pipes, translucent polycarbonate plastic sheeting that would be coated with photovoltaic film which results in this modular house being eco-friendly as it will supply the house with lighting and power for appliances.
The light weight and eco-friendly aspect of this design allows for easy transportation and is ideal for emergency situations and for low income earners. The design is very functional, incorporating open plan living space and the fact that the design incorporates rounded walls, like a pod, means there is no need for excessive corner joints, and another factor is the strength that the circular shape possesses compared to that of a square structure that would require supports. The fact that the House Arc is prefabricated means that additions and extensions can be added when needed, as parts are mass produced and standardised, ultimately this is an instant house, as it incorporates lightweight materials, produced and pre-packed in a factory and allows for further extensions. A major plus to this design is also the fact that it incorporates a green aspect to it; it therefore has less of an impact on the environment and is able to sustain its self.
Now that prefabricated materials were available there was much more freedom for designers to design products that are very much out of the normal and that would find a niche market in the product industry. One such designer is Ferdinand Chauvier, a former Belgian Congo hydraulics engineer, who under financial pressure brought his family to South Africa in 1951. Ferdinand and his son Daniel Chauvier were the inventors and designers of the Kreepy Krauly, a pool cleaning device. Ultimately their first designs were made of wood, rubber melted on their stovetop, and normal piping. After selling a few of their home made models the Chauviers were able to make use of plastic injection moulding which had begun to develop in the 1800`s, to professionally produce the Kreepy Krauly. By making use of the injection moulding the products were made extremely quickly, thereby supplying the demanding markets with products that were in high demand. Plastic in these times had just started making their entry into the commercial sectors, this meant that inventions such as the Kreepy Krauly would be seen as revolutionary. The fact that plastic was now readily available also shows how designers could advance in their designs so much more than before when they were somewhat limited to the basic construction materials such as wood and steel.
As I have shown, the incorporation of functionalism and prefabrication aspects into designs of old and current, has seen us gain an improved standard of living. The technologies of yesteryear have directly affected us by improving quality of materials, allowed faster completion of construction and generally helped in the development of industries that have ultimately allowed us to achieve what we have in this present day.
www.about.com Inventors The History of Plastics ACCESSED ON 4/02/2010
www.kreepykrauly.co.za Our Success Story ACCESSED ON 5/02/2010
www.wikipedia.org Prefabrication Updated 02/02/2010 ACCESSED ON 29/01/2010
www.wikipedia.org Functionalism (architecture) Updated 21/01/2010 ACCESSED ON 29/01/2010
www.thefreedictionary.com Functionalism ACCESSED ON 5/02/2010
www.wikipedia.org Falling Water Design and Construction Updated 03/02/2010
ACCESSED ON 30/01/2010
www.ecofriend.org Solar-powered House Arc prototype can be flat packed for shipping ACCESSED ON 30/01/2010
www.igreenspot.com The House Arc By Joseph Bellomo ACCESSED ON 29/01/2010
I Adrian Hobson hereby declare that this essay is wholly my own work and that nothing is copied and pasted. All sources have been acknowledged as necessary.
Out with the old, shock of the new... (Functionalism and Prefabrication)
It is our human nature to always want to improve and better our standard of all things in life, and design is no different. This is the reason we still have designers to this day. As designers we feel the need to improve on what already exists and to simply make life easier.
But what does this have to do with functionalism and prefabrication? You would ask.
Functionalism and prefabrication are just two of the many ways we as designers have enabled ourselves to simplify and improve on what has already been achieved in the past. The two together allow us to complete tasks quicker, save on unnecessary and costly materials, labour and machinery and generally create a more ordered and simplified living space, with no unnecessary details and over the top eccentricities.
In this essay I will explore the two main topics, functionalism and prefabrication and their origins and then ultimately how they impacted on the years following by referring to prominent designers that incorporated these aspects into their design.
Functionalism and prefabrication in a sense create modern design, we can see this clearly by looking at the Bauhaus which was prominent from 1919-1933. The Bauhaus started using new materials and experimented with these new materials to create new and different effects, Bauhaus students were encouraged to design products and buildings that expressed simplicity, functionality, and cleanliness meaning no decoration was thought necessary. This in turn ultimately falls under the international style in around 1920-1960s. A well known figurehead during this era was Louis Sullivan who stated the well known phrase `Form ever follows function. `
Designers in this time period emphasised that if something was in a design it was there for a valid reason, either that it created convenience or simplicity or that it added enrichment to the design as a whole. The basic idea was to produce products or construct buildings purely for what they were intended for and nothing more, this meant all decorations and ornamentations were excluded as they had no function in the design, other than to be something to look at.
Before the modernistic approach to design we notice how most products and buildings were either one of a kind, very decorated and most probably constructed of materials that were available in the area. This obviously took much time as specially trained professionals were probably commissioned to construct certain parts of buildings which took both time and money. By designing more functional buildings and products this process could be cut out as the extra ornamentation would not be in the design as it did not serve a purpose.
This is where prefabrication comes into the equation. By feeling the need to simplify and reduce designs to their simplest form we see the introduction of new materials that have been pre-constructed for the convenience of the designer. These prefabricated materials reduced time spent on construction, and were very much more suited to the style of building, for example, Frank Lloyd Wright`s Falling Water House, where prefabricated materials make up certain parts of the cantilever structures, incorporated as a result of the increased strength and durability because of the fact that by prefabricating sections they could add much more steel than if they had been constructing the section on site with the use of structural supports.
Functionalism and prefabrication are generally more prominent in urban, built up areas, as the cities are cluttered, clarity and simplification are often sought after. In urban areas one often sees very plain blocks of flats with no exceptional details. We also notice how the majority of these flats are very similar. This is because functionalism and prefabrication have played their part. The point of the block of flats is to house the masses at the cheapest possible rate, thus the minimal detail. The reason the flats are generally the same is because most, if not all of them are comprised of prefabricated sections.
Prefabrication is used for a number of reasons including minimising waste of materials and being able to recycle materials readily, quality control, construction time is reduced as a result of mass production of components and products/buildings are completed sooner which in turn results in more projects being completed and thereby the more the industry involved witnesses a good development rate.
Functionalism and prefabrication also plays its part in emergency situations, such as in the United Kingdom after World War 2 when permanent housing was demolished as a result of the bombings, because of the fact that assembly is fast and costs are relatively low. Although functionalism and prefabrication played a part in the war, it was actually the war that ultimately created functionalism and prefabrication. I say this as in emergency situations such as the war, people are forced to make do without the finer details. We notice how there were material restrictions in place because most resources were being channelled into war efforts, this resulted in only the bare necessities being produced and at rapid rates as the soldiers and armies involved needed supplies/weapons/infrastructure.
Prefabrication was not merely limited to buildings only, though it is the most profound system of construction. Prefabrication ranged from the first Ford production line in 1908 to the assembly of computer components in this very day. As a result of this mass production many products are constructed in very short periods of time. This also results in products being more readily available to a customer which in turn sees an increase in sales.
Prefabrication has allowed designers to design and construct products and structures that before were impossible. Such as the likes of the House Arc by Joseph Bellomo from Palo Alto near San Francisco. Bellomo has designed a modular house, one that can easily be erected and taken down. The whole house is pre-designed and consists of light weight materials such as tubular steel pipes, translucent polycarbonate plastic sheeting that would be coated with photovoltaic film which results in this modular house being eco-friendly as it will supply the house with lighting and power for appliances.
The light weight and eco-friendly aspect of this design allows for easy transportation and is ideal for emergency situations and for low income earners. The design is very functional, incorporating open plan living space and the fact that the design incorporates rounded walls, like a pod, means there is no need for excessive corner joints, and another factor is the strength that the circular shape possesses compared to that of a square structure that would require supports. The fact that the House Arc is prefabricated means that additions and extensions can be added when needed, as parts are mass produced and standardised, ultimately this is an instant house, as it incorporates lightweight materials, produced and pre-packed in a factory and allows for further extensions. A major plus to this design is also the fact that it incorporates a green aspect to it; it therefore has less of an impact on the environment and is able to sustain its self.
Now that prefabricated materials were available there was much more freedom for designers to design products that are very much out of the normal and that would find a niche market in the product industry. One such designer is Ferdinand Chauvier, a former Belgian Congo hydraulics engineer, who under financial pressure brought his family to South Africa in 1951. Ferdinand and his son Daniel Chauvier were the inventors and designers of the Kreepy Krauly, a pool cleaning device. Ultimately their first designs were made of wood, rubber melted on their stovetop, and normal piping. After selling a few of their home made models the Chauviers were able to make use of plastic injection moulding which had begun to develop in the 1800`s, to professionally produce the Kreepy Krauly. By making use of the injection moulding the products were made extremely quickly, thereby supplying the demanding markets with products that were in high demand. Plastic in these times had just started making their entry into the commercial sectors, this meant that inventions such as the Kreepy Krauly would be seen as revolutionary. The fact that plastic was now readily available also shows how designers could advance in their designs so much more than before when they were somewhat limited to the basic construction materials such as wood and steel.
As I have shown, the incorporation of functionalism and prefabrication aspects into designs of old and current, has seen us gain an improved standard of living. The technologies of yesteryear have directly affected us by improving quality of materials, allowed faster completion of construction and generally helped in the development of industries that have ultimately allowed us to achieve what we have in this present day.
www.about.com Inventors The History of Plastics ACCESSED ON 4/02/2010
www.kreepykrauly.co.za Our Success Story ACCESSED ON 5/02/2010
www.wikipedia.org Prefabrication Updated 02/02/2010 ACCESSED ON 29/01/2010
www.wikipedia.org Functionalism (architecture) Updated 21/01/2010 ACCESSED ON 29/01/2010
www.thefreedictionary.com Functionalism ACCESSED ON 5/02/2010
www.wikipedia.org Falling Water Design and Construction Updated 03/02/2010
ACCESSED ON 30/01/2010
www.ecofriend.org Solar-powered House Arc prototype can be flat packed for shipping ACCESSED ON 30/01/2010
www.igreenspot.com The House Arc By Joseph Bellomo ACCESSED ON 29/01/2010
I Adrian Hobson hereby declare that this essay is wholly my own work and that nothing is copied and pasted. All sources have been acknowledged as necessary.
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