www.NaturalFactory.org Project Iniative, the 5Ws

WHAT? NATURAL FACTORY www.sdopenideas.net

https://www.makerbay.org/ http://www.sd.polyu.edu.hk/en/j.c.-innovation-tower/material-resource-centre

http://szoil .org/wp/

a voluntary project started by young(ish) designer/maker/biologist friends from from several countries interested in exploring the field of sustainablity together

School of Design Open Ideas (SDOI) - A PolyU students’ initiative for open innovation, for gathering, facilitating and being the main part of project teams MakerBay Hong Kong – One of the HK’s largest project- based makerspaces for environmental and social impacts, forinterning two of the teams to work on the site and build a physical library of natural materials.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Materials Research Centre (MRC)- for providing samples of natural materials and access to their collection to help with researching entries.

Shenzhen Open Innovation Lab (SZOIL) - for providing a space for two of us to work for a few days as we started our research tour in China, and suggesting ideas for entries.

WHO

WHY LET N ATURE BE FACTORY # reference, updated with community feedback # means of facilitation and # inspiration on the use of

natural materials and natural processing methods for makers, designers and more passionate creative minds We believe nature is the aspirational model for the cradle to cradle design approach, thus should be our partner whenever possible, as the pathway to a truly circular economy and sustainable future.

All projects serve to convince and empower the public on re-imagining material application and more importantly, present industrial linear production and consumption modes.

HOW

can we achieve natural factory?

Let’s have a look on our present efforts.

!

INSPIRATION BANKS: ONLINE + OFFLINE

COMMUNITY- FORMING

HANDS-ON: MATERIAL EXPERIMENTS

#online database #overview of materials

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www.NATURALFACTORY.ORG << categories you can find on the web

since mid-Apr 2017

NOT an exhaustive academic database; rather a ‘box of interesting samples’ of mainlyn on-food and non-medical products includes entries from more traditional natural materials and processes which could be rediscovered, repurposed or developed, to the rapidly developing field of biotech / bio-hacking Aided public contribution: With editorial guide provided, we welcome entry-writing, comments and forum discussions about web content and ideas of making from the public

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Multi-language: We have friends from HK, UK, Russia, and more to work on translation- in progress

MATERIAL LIBRARY #physical / offline database

1 Sponsorship from MakerBay, PolyU Material Resource Centre, Asian Lifestyle Design Lab, and Green & Associates, with public/ private contribution

at MAKERBAY YAU TONG Input: physical eco-friendly material samples + knowledge on prints- books, material catalogs, tool menu Expandable: welcome material and/or book contribution, with MakerBay memberships in reward Interactive: use of QR codes that direct users to online databases supplier info (excel file)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12BS11XBhBgiA27qICnGuNmZjq2GFLLfaYlv9Z-tdrzo/edit?usp=sharing)

overview of material

http://naturalfactory.org/

(Potential role as a shop: to enhance practicality of the library - still in discussion)

How can makers, designers, users- the public community be convinced to accept, use and create with naturally processed, eco-friendly and sustainable materials?

We test them ourselves! We, be the pioneer to “collaborate with nature”, we let nature be our factory and it as part of the control.

We contribute, as future referenceour exeriments, trials, products and experience.

WHAT IS MYCELIUM: You may want to refer to our entries on this material for more information http://naturalfactory.org/?s=mycelium.

HANDS- ON: MATERIAL EXPERIMENTS #1 MYCELIUM TEAM # COMMUNITY PRODUCTION

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Ideas: Can “mushroom roots” be our next age Styrofoam?

Can we get rid of plastic in ten yearsʼ time?

EXPERIMENT w/ EXISTING TECH.

Ecovative: To save time and energy so that we can focus more on the design stage and idea proposal, we decided to purchase products from this US company, which come in the form of packs of dried agricultural residues with mycelium particles mixed.

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# GROWING IN DIFF. MOLDS # PROPERTY TEST # HACKING ON HOUSEHOLD OBJ. Experimental: The above are our main goals of test, to see what and how can we grow mycelium in the effective way in terms of creating our proposed product.

We created own mold with simple household matereials to ensure accessibility of the community.

COMMUNITY- FORMING Soft Launch event: The very first time involving pubic consultation, discussion on how a material library can have more effective contribution to a maker community. We had friends in the textile industry, product design and sociology students, community workers --- all aspired to build a more sustainable world!

Mycelium brainstorming night: Creative idetion process facilitatd by SDOI. Green & Associates Shenzhen factory visit: Offered by one of our material sponsors who is generous enough to share their manufacturing experience and newest experimental thoughts.

Soft launch 2017.7.22

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Brainstorming!

#activity-based #gather minds

Within PolyU: With SDOI being a cross-disciplinary platform (want-to-be)/ group, students from mainly the School of Design and other departments are gradually coming together for open innovation.

External parties: With more outreach opportunities given, our chances of external collaboration are expanding as well. Co-working space MakerBay and green design consultancy/ company Green & Associates are telling examples.

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External parties: Simple contribution such as giving out physical samples and/ or books aree examples of community-forming too.

Dongguan Lab visit 2017.8.11

MORE ...

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www.sdopenideas.net contact@sdopenideas.net search “SD Open Ideas”