Making The Green Mile: creating circular urban furniture
1 February 2021 - 1 July 2022
Using computational design and robotic production to transform waste materials into sustainable urban furniture – this was central to Making the Green Mile, a collaboration between the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), UNStudio, GP Groot and Schijf Restoric. The research project was connected to a broader initiative to redesign the public space on Amsterdam's Stadhouderskade.
Creating circular urban furniture
Can we (re)design the public space in the center of Amsterdam in such a way that pedestrians are given more space? This is the question the UNStudio architectural firm is working on for the Green Mile Plan. The Stadhouderskade, one of the most polluting streets in the Netherlands and home to this firm’s office, is the first area to be examined. The challenge for researchers at the AUAS was to come up with a full-scale prototype of urban furniture that contributes to a more livable Stadhouderskade and is made from recycled materials.
Robotic production
The project followed an innovative and iterative process of computational design and digital production. These techniques make it possible to explore with shape and dimensions and to eventually design a whole 'family' of urban elements. The process took into account the functional requirements that the object must meet, such as appearance, shape, dimensions and structural performance, and the available amounts of materials. The environment where it would end up was also considered: for example, the object was allowed to take up parking spaces but not greenery. The prototype has been robotically produced in the AUAS Robot Lab.
The Robot Lab has also developed a useful tool: an augmented reality environment in which users can visualize a peace of urban furniture in any location. This allows them to see how the object fits into its surroundings, even before it is built.
Marco Galli
Project leader and researcher
Results
Making the Green Mile linked computational design and robotic production to the circular use of wood and other residual and waste materials. The project provided valuable knowledge for new (outdoor) applications. The designs encourage people to think and invite stakeholders to discuss topics such as sustainability, digital design and quality of life in the city. Making the Green Mile thus contributed to the development of a 'smart industry' and the circular economy.
Integratie van onderwijs, onderzoek en praktijk
Various groups of students, interns and graduates of the AUAS were involved in Making the Green Mile. For example, students of Computational Design took part in the first design explorations, and an Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) student did her graduation project on the design phase of the project. During a two-week Makeathon, teachers/researchers and students of the Robotic Production & Circular Materials minor, together with two interns from the Robot Lab and project partners, optimized a design and built a 'conversation piece' for the Stadhouderskade.
Partners
Making the Green Mile was a collaboration between the Digital Production Research Group (DPRG) of the AUAS, the architectural firm UNStudio, and GPGroot and Schijf Restoric, suppliers of residual and used building materials in the Amsterdam region. The partners worked closely together during the process, from the selection of materials to the choice of the final design.
Contact
For more information about this project, please contact Marco Galli.
Digital Production Research Group
Making the Green Mile is part of the research line Digital Production, of the Circular Design and Business research group. How can advanced design and manufacturing technologies - also known as “digital production” - help address societal challenges? That question is the focus of the Digital Production Research Group.