URBAN DESIGN BUILD STUDIO Blog

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Here are some of the details of the HOME INCUBATOR that we photographed after the final review.  These images show the tolerances and precision that we had to work with between each detail. 

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On May 8th, we had an event at PROJECT RE_ with the Reality Computing student cohort to celebrate the work developed this semester and try out the virtual and augmented reality experiences that they had made.  The work will be utilized during the HOME INCUBATOR deployments and for their own showcase, “Meeting of the Minds,” which is held on campus.  The end products turned out great and the interactivity was remarkable, awesome work!

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On the left are a series of digitally rendered branding iterations developed by Sophie Nahrmann (UDBS ‘18) during the 2018 UDBS Summer Internship. The image on the right illustrates paint tests conducted this Spring to test the feasibility of the color schemes on the left. While we were drawn to the vibrancy and contrast created through the painting, we came to the realization that the application of the spray paint was too unpredictable; we were unable to create consistently clean edges or effective feathering of color.  Therefore, we decided to leave the HOME INCUBATOR unpainted and celebrate contrast between the smooth refined maple and the rough texture of the cardboard.

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One communal event that the HOME INCUBATOR is designed to host is a movie night. Utilizing the projector that will be stored in the cargo box on RE_TOLD and the front end stand, movies will be projected onto the felt of the VR cube. Movies that are exhibited are aimed to be socially relevant to issues in the City of Pittsburgh. Eventually oral histories that are recorded using RE_TOLD will hopefully be formatted and displayed before movie nights to give contextual relevance of certain issues at hand in local communities.

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After our final review Jay and I took extensive photos of the progress we had made this semester.  As you can see there is still work to be done on the trailer module, for instance the letters, but we are excited to finalize the construction of both modules and get the bike out on the road!

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During the construction of the Home Incubator, I learned how to use a 1960s metal lathe in the wood shop on campus.  We have utilized the metal lathe to core maple baseball bat blanks that are used to clamp the cardboard laminated chunks together on both the HOME INCUBATOR and RE_TOLD.

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As RE_TOLD was being composed, construction documents were developed to document the entire composition. An exploded axonometric of all RE_TOLD components illustrate how every part is composed in the bigger picture. 

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Hard maple wood was used to compose the branding for RE_TOLD and the HOME INCUBATOR, the community outreach tool being developed by the UDBS. Letters were created by CNC milling the hard maple wood into individual pieces which were laminated and fastened together using brads. After sufficient time to dry, each letter was sanded extensively using orbital sanders and then rigorously sanded to finish quality by hand. Wooden dowels were then glued on the back sides of the letters to insert into the cardboard laminations. All letters were then polyurethaned with three coats to ensure letters were fully weather proofed.

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A shot from our final, final review on May 7th.  The four of us working on the HOME INCUBATOR (Yash Khemka, Tony Kosec, Jay Tyan, and myself) have been working on this project for the past two years, and we were excited to show the abundance of work and knowledge we had gained from this experience.  I think I can speak on behalf of the four of us that we are all extremely grateful to have been part of this project and the UDBS for the past two years.  

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During our final review in the Community Room at PROJECT RE_, we demonstrated the deployment of the interview table. It was great to see the enthusiasm and interaction from our guests.

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On Saturday, April 13th Jay and I arrayed every component of RE_TOLD before it was composed for the final time. #HOME_INCUBATOR #RE_TOLD.

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This is an image of RE_TOLD being composed for the final time, at PROJECT RE_, after all components had been sprayed with coats of polyurethane.  We are looking to finalize the construction of the HOME INCUBATOR trailer module and VR cube prior to deployment of either modules. We are looking to make the first deployment during the summer!

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The above images represent some of the virtual and augmented reality experiences designed for the HOME INCUBATOR events. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are important components of the HOME INCUBATOR, and are being developed in collaboration with the IDeATe department at CMU. These technological tools are aimed at home buyers as well as existing residents. They aim to convey exterior and interior spatial qualities of RE_CON 01-02, including detailed interaction with systems & material utilized. For existing residents it aims to illustrate community improvements, identify opportunities to stabilize residents in existing homes and discuss benefits of a mixed income community.   

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The images of RE_TOLD show an initial render (bottom right) in comparison to the final result (Top Left).

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The Cube an important component of the HOME IncUBATOR designed to be an educational edifice, by performing two functions - First, acting as a tool for technological demonstration and second, to demonstrate simple construction methods and processes to kids. 

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VR Cube

The HOME INCUBATOR opens up to become a table and also acts as a trunk that holds the VR Cube. The Cube is assembled using light weight circular aluminum members and is wrapped with a grey scrim that provides shading as well as allows one to view people using the virtual reality headgear. The cube acts as an educational edifice by supporting dual function. First, as a tool for technological demonstration targeted at home buyers and existing residents, the VR experience will illustrate the RE_CON housing proposal in detail as well as showcase possible community improvements, opportunities to stabilize residents in existing homes and discuss the benefits of a mixed income neighborhood. The second goal of the cube is to demonstrate construction methods and processes to kids in a fun collaborative way.

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HOME IncUBATOR Programmatic Events

The HOME IncUBATOR has been designed to support three specific events-

Community barbecue: A chance for people to break bread with fellow community members and in the process facilitate dialogue between individuals.

Movie Night: Raise awareness and facilitate dialogue by screening films relevant to issues experienced in the region.

Technological Demonstration: Exhibit virtual and augmented reality demos of the RE_CON housing proposal, job skills training and the affects of a mixed income neighborhood.