Sunday, 12 June 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
Studio work progress
Exam is around the corner and it feels like my whole life is falling apart. Where am i going get the time to complete the document, drawings and model. I think I should employ an assistant...
Well here are some of my drawings. You can comment anything, I can take it.
Monday, 30 May 2011
Concrete cloth...
Concrete cloth is a flexible cement impregnated fabric that hardens on hydration. It is used to make the building in bag or know as concrete canvas shelters. This structure is inflated, then hydrated to harden the structure to form the building. The structure is fire and weather proof. THe best thing about the structure is that you can inflate it, wet down and solidified within 24 hours.
A pretty good invention to construct temporary shelters in disaster area, site offices or even a military base.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBHVKFCoYFc&feature=player_embedded
Saturday, 21 May 2011
De-stress techniques...
Most you know that I belong to the Afrikaans Youth organization known as Die Voortrekkers. Well today we went to the shooting range. I was a bit sceptic about shooting but it was so much fun!
We had a police officer assisting us with the pistol, R5 semi-automatic gun and a shot gun. The pistol is the easiest as well as the shot gun but only with rubber bullets. The other shot gun bullets have painfull recoil. With pistol I had a grouping of a A4 page but I don't think came close to the target with the semi-automatic weapon.
We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public...
We had a police officer assisting us with the pistol, R5 semi-automatic gun and a shot gun. The pistol is the easiest as well as the shot gun but only with rubber bullets. The other shot gun bullets have painfull recoil. With pistol I had a grouping of a A4 page but I don't think came close to the target with the semi-automatic weapon.
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| Chatting with friends |
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| Me with the R5 semi-automatic gun |
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| Me with the shot gun loaded with rubber bullets |
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| Me with the shot gun loeded with birdshot bullets, my shoulder stinged a lot... |
We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public...
Monday, 16 May 2011
Eco graffiti!
This is the work of Anna Garforth. It is a totally organic way of putting your stamp on the wall. Here is a recipe for it. Seems like a lot of fun.
RECIPE
*Several clumps of moss
*1 pot of natural yoghurt or 12oz buttermilk (experiment to see which works best)
*1/2 teaspoon of sugar
*blender
*Plastic pot (with a lid)
*Paint brush
*Spray-mister
And then there is reverse graffiti, making picture by cleaing. Graphic images are 'cleaned' onto the walls with steel brushes or a sand blaster. An old technic for a new use.
RECIPE
*Several clumps of moss
*1 pot of natural yoghurt or 12oz buttermilk (experiment to see which works best)
*1/2 teaspoon of sugar
*blender
*Plastic pot (with a lid)
*Paint brush
*Spray-mister
Thursday, 28 April 2011
Green building technics
These days everyone is very conscious about how building material and buildings effect the enviroment and how we can lower our carbin footprint on earth. There are several systems availible such as generating our own energy for our homes, recycling waste materials, re-using old fittings or building materials evolve to be more sustainable.
Most of the systems and construction materials we know of are newly developed or inproved. Some of our oldest systems are forgetten as cob building. Cob building was used in the 11th - 14th century and in 1994 cob building imerged agaain. This building method is very primitive and traditional.
Cob consist of sand, clay, straw and water. The sand and clay acts as the adhesive of the material and the straw is added for its tensile strenght. It is relativily load bearing in small structures but you can increase the load bearing capacity by adding struts or columns. This building materail is fireproof, inexspensive but very labor intensive. This material can be used to create artistic forms such as curved walls, pizza ovens and sculptures.
On our trip tp Knysna, a few weeks back, we visisted a house built with cob. I can not remember the owners name but I will refer to her as Nina. She reminds me of Nina from 'Fiela se kind'. Nina's house is built from natural materials. Stone wall for the foundations, cob for the internal, external walls and floors and timber frame construction where the house is suspended.
The house is located in the George forest, close to Wilderness.
Photo's of hte visist...
Pansgrouw cheking something...
The ceiling is woven banana leave.
'Nina' is next to the bakkie..
Most of the systems and construction materials we know of are newly developed or inproved. Some of our oldest systems are forgetten as cob building. Cob building was used in the 11th - 14th century and in 1994 cob building imerged agaain. This building method is very primitive and traditional.
Cob consist of sand, clay, straw and water. The sand and clay acts as the adhesive of the material and the straw is added for its tensile strenght. It is relativily load bearing in small structures but you can increase the load bearing capacity by adding struts or columns. This building materail is fireproof, inexspensive but very labor intensive. This material can be used to create artistic forms such as curved walls, pizza ovens and sculptures.
On our trip tp Knysna, a few weeks back, we visisted a house built with cob. I can not remember the owners name but I will refer to her as Nina. She reminds me of Nina from 'Fiela se kind'. Nina's house is built from natural materials. Stone wall for the foundations, cob for the internal, external walls and floors and timber frame construction where the house is suspended.
The house is located in the George forest, close to Wilderness.
Photo's of hte visist...
Pansgrouw cheking something...
The ceiling is woven banana leave.
'Nina' is next to the bakkie..
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| Front door |
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| Front door from the foyer |
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| Foyer leading to main bedroom, bathroom |
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| In the lounge area |
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| Behind: is the kitchen |
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| North side of house |
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| Under the deck - the solar geyser is located here as well as wood for fires |
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| The view from the deck - the mountain in the background is the Jonkersberg in Goerge. |
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| Service courtyard |
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| The recycle bins fit the style of the house |
Monday, 4 April 2011
Project Management ... follow up...
This is a follow up to my post on the 23rd of March 2011...
It turns out that students enthusiasm only last till you give them work to do. After I handed out the drawings for them to complete it took them about one week to produce any work. The program I set up was totally ignored and it feels like I'm talking to a wall. We initially decided to meet twice a week but since they are so behind I have to see them everyday. One thing I learned in the office is that one never assume!
My group consist of four girls and one guy. The girls did not disappoint me at all, i have absolutely no problem with them. Maybe the occasional slim hand in. They at least listen to me but the guy, I have seen him twice in this 3 week project. Send threatening emails which could end his studies at NMMU does not help at all not even my most unfriendly face. The only motivation/threat they follow is from the big boss - Pansgrouw. One positive thing about my group is that they have not made lame excuses for not attending meetings or why their work is behind. I like to think that we communicate good with each other (touch wood - I have not heard any complaints).
While I was working I kind of envied the boss, he was never in the office. On most of the projects he was the project manager. It seemed like he only attended meetings, write the minutes, take the occasional photo for the staff if changes should happened and write a report afterwards, until I started with my first big project. Attending meetings is the mild part of the project everyone do not always agree, the job is behind, people are losing interest in the project. The admin is the hard part - coordinating the consultants etc. ensuring that everyone is up to speed. Some times it felt like I was the project manager all the consultants phoned me about information about the project. Someday it felt like smooth sailing and others like my boat is caught in a storm... Thanks to this experience and my tutors I think I am doing well with my group.
It turns out that students enthusiasm only last till you give them work to do. After I handed out the drawings for them to complete it took them about one week to produce any work. The program I set up was totally ignored and it feels like I'm talking to a wall. We initially decided to meet twice a week but since they are so behind I have to see them everyday. One thing I learned in the office is that one never assume!
My group consist of four girls and one guy. The girls did not disappoint me at all, i have absolutely no problem with them. Maybe the occasional slim hand in. They at least listen to me but the guy, I have seen him twice in this 3 week project. Send threatening emails which could end his studies at NMMU does not help at all not even my most unfriendly face. The only motivation/threat they follow is from the big boss - Pansgrouw. One positive thing about my group is that they have not made lame excuses for not attending meetings or why their work is behind. I like to think that we communicate good with each other (touch wood - I have not heard any complaints).
While I was working I kind of envied the boss, he was never in the office. On most of the projects he was the project manager. It seemed like he only attended meetings, write the minutes, take the occasional photo for the staff if changes should happened and write a report afterwards, until I started with my first big project. Attending meetings is the mild part of the project everyone do not always agree, the job is behind, people are losing interest in the project. The admin is the hard part - coordinating the consultants etc. ensuring that everyone is up to speed. Some times it felt like I was the project manager all the consultants phoned me about information about the project. Someday it felt like smooth sailing and others like my boat is caught in a storm... Thanks to this experience and my tutors I think I am doing well with my group.
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