MAKE:Philly holds monthly meeting in ID dept.

On Sunday, October 25th the MAKE:Philly crew kicked off the fall with their first meeting in the new ID space. Every month the ID department hosts the Make meetings. All meetings are open to anyone interested in attending and are a great way to meet other folks in the Philadelphia area that are building, creating, designing, and making. Each meeting is comprised of three parts, starting with members presenting projects they’re currently developing, followed by a great speaker, and finished off with the Maker Challenge – a hands-on fast paced building project that must be completed in 30-45 minutes.

MAKE:Philly meeting #23 maker challenge

:: SPEAKER 10/25/09 ::
Chris Thompson of eagleapex.com was the guest speaker. Chris is a digital artist and maker. He spoke about various projects he has been working on including: ToynbeeCodes, BanHammer, Meatcards, Etsy, and wholesale. Chris also shared how he took his ideas from hobbies to side jobs.

:: OPEN MAKE ::
A staple of all our meetings is Open Make — an opportunity for you to share with the group a project you recently completed…. if interested in presenting email us at makephilly@gmail to reserve your spot

:: MAKER CHALLENGE 10/25/09 ::
During the second half of this and every meeting we break into teams and build something to meet the objective of the ‘maker challenge’. Download the maker challenge for this meeting and start brainstorming…
Maker Challenge #23

UPCOMING MAKE:Philly MEETINGS:
Plan your year now! All meetings, unless otherwise specified, are held 3:00-5:00pm Sunday afternoons in the ID Dept at UArts, Floor 5 Terra Hall, 211 S. Broad Street.

November 22, 2009
January 24, 2010
February 14, 2010
March 21, 2010
April 18, 2010
May 23, 2010 

In-progress build

Shelter project receives national media coverage

Sophomore design project by Sebastian Brauer, Jin Hong, Jackie Starker, and Ji In Sun (currently seniors) was recently shown as part of So Re Fa, Socially Responsible Fashion Show, held during DesignPhiladelphia 2009. Writers and photographers for Ecouterre.com and Inhabitat.com were covering the event and featured the emergency shelter “Wear” group project, coverage that has since been picked up by Core77 and other sites.

SoReFa at North Bowl during DesignPhiladelphia 2009

Designed in response to the first project for sophomore design studio, “Emergency Shelter”, the group defined their user group as metropolitan residents in a time when emergencies are regular occurrences – creating the need for shelters as garments that the user can “Wear”. Their solution: three durable, watertight, and wind-resistant garments that are lightweight enough for everyday wear yet easily convertible into tents or sleeping bags that can brave the elements. Initial prototypes were constructed from repurposed thrift-store sleeping bags, exercise clothing, and performance jackets, the “Wearable Shelter” pieces act as protective all-weather gear in the day and insulating shelter at night.

More photos after the jump.

ID Shop Tech Room

The new ID Shop is in full swing and the Tech Room is printing away.

With the move to Terra 5 we reinstalled the CNC Router and have added a Laser Cutter and 3D Printer to the collection. New protocol is in place and it’s easy to submit files, check pricing, request materials, and learn more about how to prepare files for smooth processing.

Check out the Tech Room Blog for all the important info:
iduartstechroom.wordpress.com

Also, to learn more about the 3D Printer and the Makerbot that you’ve seen around the department, check out the blog maintained by Junior Kyle Stetz as part of his 3D Shop Independent Study:
kylestetzrp.wordpress.com

Swine Design – 2009 Department Charrette

The 2009 Department-wide design charrette focused on the topic of “Swine Design.” Running for three days, the project was announced on the morning of Tuesday, October 20th. The topic was introduced with a short film featuring public service announcements, commercials for healthcare projects, and swine flu info. We then heard from immunologists, Penn PhD candidates, and the school nurse – all sharing the science and medicine behind Swine Flu. The categories were announced, teams signed up, and the floor filled with groups diving into the topic. Short update presentations were made Wednesday morning and final presentations were held Thursday afternoon.

Charrette Kickoff in the new lecture space

Immunologists from UPenn demonstrating lab protective gear

More photos and the category descriptions after the jump.

New ID department – a quick tour

While we’ve been in the space fully functioning for 7 weeks already, here are some photos from before construction, work over the summer and moments before classes started! Feel free to stop by for a tour of the space and see it in full swing!

Terra 5 - before renovations

New shop - before the equipment arrived

Installing shelves in the new faculty work space

New Senior Studio - corner space overlooking Broad and Walnut Streets

Greensgrow Announces Bike Rack Design Contest

They are requesting designs for an artistic bike rack that is made of salvaged materials, maximizes bike parking spots, matches the aesthetic of the nursery, and also serves as an entrance gate. More information and guidelines can be found at www.greensgrow.org.

Submissions due Nov 25 at High Noon. The WINNER receives a brand new Gary Fisher Bike.

Greensgrow future bike racks

Indyhalloween coming up!

Everyone should already know about Indyhall, a collaborative, open office space in Old City where people, mostly freelancers, go to do work within a community.

If you didn’t know about them, well, now you do. If you did know about them, did you also know about their rockin Halloween party that will be on Thursday, October 29 at Sugar Mom’s????

Specials: $3 Burgers (including Veggie!), $1.50 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon until 11PM, and $2 mixed well-drinks from 10PM til Midnight.

There is a theme for the costumes, classic video gaming. Read more about it at Geekadelphia.

Countdown to Make:Philly

Make:Philly is coming up Sunday, October 25 will feature Chris Thompson of eagleapex.com as our guest speaker. Chris is a digital artist and maker. He will be talking about various projects he has been working on including: ToynbeeCodes, BanHammer, Meatcards, Etsy, and wholesale. Chris will also be sharing with us how he took his ideas from hobbies to side jobs.  Check out the details here.

Remember:  Sunday, October 25 from 3-5 PM on the ID floor of Terra.  Meet cool people, get inspired by science, and make something!

Cool New Philadelphia Mapping Technology

Philadelphia is always touted as being a “walkable city,” although many people who walk or bike often in the city would say that this”walkability” is up for serious interpretation.

Enter Avencia, the geographic-based software development firm and their new Walkshed System.  Now you can pick your walking priorities, including grocery stores, rail stops, restaurants and more, check the walkability, put your shoes on and make some tracks.

Next Fab Studios Announces Logo Design Contest!

Next Fab Studios, the newest kid on Philly’s maker block has announced a contest to create an awesome logo while they finish construction of their new membership-based workshop.
Check out the details here!