Beam Camp

Co-design and self-construction workshop with kids attending Beam Camp in Strattford, NH.

Beam Camp is a project by Brian Cohen and Danny Kahn that seeks to generate exciting experiences for kids through creative problem solving by means of the use of their hands and active collaboration with others.

BEAMCAMP was a preselected proposal for the 2012 edition of this camp.

Co-designing a set of transformable letters using as pretext gaming, language and iconography associated to a proper noun (Beam Camp) in order to construct a system of resources to be enjoyed by campers.

The resulting transformable system of letters will achieve a triple scale: iconic [associated to the word identifying a place / Hollywood-like], recreational [a crossing letters game] and functional [collective transformable furniture].

CATALOG OF LETTERS – TRANSFORMABLE FURNITURE:

Designing and construction process will take place in three phases:

– Firstly campers will investigate and discuss on a catalogue of uses to be usefully displayed in order to fit out an appropriately chosen space among Beam Camp area.

– Secondly they will develop a catalogue of materials, mechanisms for letter transformation and constructive systems in order to plan the materialisation of the project.

– And finally a complete prototype will be fabricated, moved into the selected place and fully enjoyed by all beam campers.

TECHNICAL PLANS AND AXONOMETRIC DRAWINGS:

The aims of the project will be:

– Develop non-conventional or formal urban analysis capabilities.

– Rehearse participatory methodologies and protocols for linking with the city through identity and action.

– Develop co-design processes.

– Manage resources: low-cost, recycling, DIY (do it yourself) and DIWO (do it with others) processes.

– Develop a complete small-scale project from conceptualization, design and production design to prototyping.

– Build to scale 1: 1.

VIEWS OF THE PROJECT AND ITS DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES OF USE:

The expected result of the project will be the design, development and construction of a final prototype that will verify three conditions:

– It will be a huge iconic sign that will materialize the identity of Beam Camp through the letters composing its name.
– It will be a physical reconfigurable alphabet allowing campers to form new words using the base letters.
– It will be a collective equipment that can be unfolded from every letter or group of letters, it will be as the Hollywood sign could be folded out to form a (or several) setting for a movie.

A project by David Pérez / PKMN [pac-man]

January 2012
Strafford, NH [USA]