context – Page 11 – Broken City Lab

February 24, 2009July 5, 2018

Tweet-A-Watt

Made from a hacked Kill A Watt, a device used to measure energy usage from a power outlet, Ladyada made this real-time Twittering energy monitor. The Tweet-A-Watt can be made for around $50, and would be used in each room—your office’s power bar would have one connected to it, your living room, bedroom, etc. Check out the Twitter feed, as it reports on the energy used around every 8 hours.

A great idea, and all the better that it came out of working with existing products to make them more functional. As with many visualization and data reporting techniques though, I find there’s a bit of a gap between seeing the numbers (for example, 134.0 Watts, 4133 Wh in last 24hr, 5510 Wh previous day), and understanding what the numbers mean. Is 4133 Wh in the last 24 hours good or bad? However, at least being able to track and begin to understand the relationship between your activities and energy usage is a step in the right direction.

[via Inhabitat]

February 23, 2009July 5, 2018

Graffiti Using GPS

This project, executed by GRL Tokyo, took me a while to figure out. Basically this image, which reads “The Invisible is Eternal,” was made by riding a bike with a GPS device attached to it, then uploading the resulting kml file to Google Maps. It’s pretty insane to see this that this was done on a bike, though aside from that, I’m not sure about it (and the 19 minute video of the condensed bike ride doesn’t help either).

Maybe something is lost in the translation, but I think conceptually, this would have been better as a map made as a kind of algorithm to move the rider over some greater distances than he normally would, then documenting the experience of that process. Of course, in terms of how it was actually executed, that description is probably pretty close, but the reason behind doing it is different (writing / bombing without actually making a mark vs psychogeographic interests), and ultimately kind of dull.

I thought it was worth noting, given some of the Google Earth related projects we’re working on.

February 13, 2009July 5, 2018

Light Lane

In anticipation of a time when we will feel comfortable in long-sleeved shirts, I’ve revisited an early BCL discovery: bicycle safety using light! While I’m not too sure how we could use lasers to create images, I have no doubts that we could use them for a handful of other Windsor-related projects. If this “Light Lane” concept becomes a reality, and people do not abuse it, it could prove to be a cost-effective way of keeping cyclists spatially segregated from motorists.

The Light Lane‘s creators, Alex Tee and Evan Gant, describe the project as such: “Our system projects a crisply defined virtual bike lane onto pavement, using a laser, providing the driver with a familiar boundary to avoid. With a wider margin of safety, bikers will regain their confidence to ride at night, making the bike a more viable commuting alternative.”

February 12, 2009July 5, 2018

The Watermarks Project

In order to highlight the possible future-effects of rising sea levels in Bristol, England, the Watermarks Project was initiated by Chris Bodle, a landscape architect. Notes and lines demarcating the rising water will be projected on buildings and infrastructure throughout the city.

This project is a great example of annotating the city, relaying information to the public that would be otherwise unknown or unrealized.

[via Rhizome]

February 7, 2009July 5, 2018

Umbrellas in a Tree

Not sure what to say about it, it’s great and ridiculous.

[via FFFFOUND!]

February 6, 2009July 5, 2018

Flooded McDonald’s

I’m not sure if I just flat-out like the thought of massive corporations drowning on their own power, or I like water flooding small spaces. Either way, this project by Superflex provides us with both: the vision of an empire being metaphorically drowned and a lifelike commercial space being literally filled with water.

“Flooded McDonald’s is a film work by Superflex in which a convincing life-size replica of the interior of a McDonald’s burger bar, without any customers or staff present, gradually floods with water. Furniture is lifted up by the water, trays of food and drinks start to float around, electrics short circuit and eventually the space becomes completely submerged.”

Continue reading “Flooded McDonald’s”

February 5, 2009July 5, 2018

One Day Sculpture

Journée des barricades by Heather and Ivan Morison was installed as part of the ongoing One Day Sculpture exhibition in New Zealand. The barricade, consisting of car wrecks, discarded furniture, and other urban detritus, was installed for 24 hours back in December on a central street in Wellington.

The work is part of the Morison’s ongoing investigation of future catastrophies (and their social implications).

The One Day Sculpture project looks like it’s going to be a really interesting project, featuring 20 newly commissioned projects by its close. I’m just wondering if these sculptures / performances lasting for one day is just a function of the logistical nature of having public work in a major city centre or is an actual solid conceptual base for the entire exhibition.

February 2, 2009July 5, 2018

28 Millimetres: Women

This is a huge project. JR, an “undercover photographer,” recently completed this large-scale photo installation on the rooftops of Kibera, Kenya. The photos on the roofs are of Kenyan women and are printed on water-resistant materials, thereby providing the homes with some protection in the heavy rain seasons, while the hillside also features faces that are split, but completed when the train passes through Kibera twice a day.

The scale of this project is incredible, but I really like that the photos also protect the homes beneath them.

[via Wooster Collective]

January 31, 2009July 5, 2018

Linoleum Asphalt Mosaics

This project demonstrates an interesting way to use free samples of linoleum tiles for street mosaics. These tiles originated in the 70s in Philadelphia and are also called Toynbee Tiles. Construction seems fairly simple, though a bit time consuming, but could be a great addition to any sidewalk. The video is about 6 minutes and worth watching.

[via F.A.T. & Craft]

January 30, 2009July 5, 2018

Moss Carpet – La Chanh Nguyen

In the summer of 2008, Broken City Lab’s early days, we discussed using moss for a small number of projects. While the current weather is not permissive of working outdoors with plants, I wouldn’t mind giving moss another chance come spring. La Chanh Nguyen is way ahead of us, creating moss carpets for use indoors! They never need to be washed and are resistant to mould.

“Created by Switzerland-based industrial designer La Chanh Nguyen, the small indoor greenspace features three types of live green mosses – ball moss, island moss and forest moss – that grow in individual “cells” of plastazote, a decay-free foam. This lovely little bathmat can even thrive under the dubious care of the green-thumb challenged: mosses flourish in damp, humid places, making bathrooms ideal homes for these comfy carpets.”

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