De/Re: My Life

This is the design of my life



I just finished the most inspiring design studio at SVA called Deconstruction/Reconstruction. The project was to create a model of my life, which was refreshing after weeks of design research and systems analysis! Above is a little teaser image to show a detail from my finished object. Below are 4 images that depict the construction of my sketch model, a marble racetrack.



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Deconstruction/Reconstruction is the design process that our professor, Ayse Birsel, uses in her daily practice. The first step to redesigning a life is to find a metaphor that describes it, "My life is like taking a ride on the subway for the first time. The anxiety of not knowing whether I am on the right side of the platform keeps me alert. Though I am not necessarily in control of the train, I can decide where to get on and where to get off. In the back of my mind, I know that I will eventually get to my destination."

The marble race track is much like the train. Though the parts can be constructed in different forms, the framework is always the same. I chose to redesign this toy because I had a strong connection with it as a toddler. Below are some preliminary sketches for the redesign of the marble track.




Initially I was considering making a table that would flip up into an arcade-style pachinko board. Though it might've been a cool piece to have around the house, it didn't seem to fit the metaphor.







Tubes and tension! I like some of these, maybe I'll make them in the future.



This is the sketch I decided to work from - it looks like chicken scratch! I guess there was a moment of clarity where I pictured the final model and thought, "Oh hell, I don't need to do a nice sketch!" So this blobby, bird-like form became my life. Its actually the perimeter of one of my favorite places, the F1 circuit in Montreal where I saw my first Grand Prix.



In true architect style, I designed these 2D piece schedules in AutoCAD. The body of the marble track is made of laser cut acrylic.



I used Rhino to design the moving wheel and 3D printed it from ABS in a Dimension machine!



Lots of assembly required. If I were to do it again, I would try to make it with parts that could screw together rather than be glued. Acrylic glue is a little pungent and is known to contain chemicals that cause cancer in the state of California.



Glamour shot #1



#2



And #3 with hand-model