The encounter of artisan tradition and diy innovation in the new making space

122 Pages·2013·7.62 MB·English

Politecnico di Milano - Facoltà di Design - PSSD - A.a. 2012/2013
Relatore - Fabrizio Pierandrei
Luca Cozzi - 748085
LUCA COZZI
The encounter of artisan tradition and
diy innovation in the new making space

The ‘Labutega’ project has been developed outside Politecnico di Milano with the help
of Paolo Aliverti, Simone deGiuseppe and Maurizio DiLucchio, and it is used in this
thesis as a case study. I want to thank them for the chance that they gave me, my relator
Fabrizio Pierandrei, my family and my girlfriend for the support.
i n d e x
0.0
Introduction 07
Chapter one:
THE ARTISAN TRADITION
01.1
The Definition 10
01.2
The Italian Situation 12
Case study - THE DISTRICTS IN ITALY AND THEIR DISTRIBUTION 13
Case study - VYRUS MOTORCYCLES, GLOCAL CRAFTS 15
01.3
The Crisis 16
01.4
Paradox & Perception 20
Infographic - THE MANUAL PROFESSIONS AT GREATEST RISK OF TURNOVER 22
01.5
The Opportunities 28
Chapter two:
THE DIY INNOVATION
02.1
The Makers 34
Case study - INSTRUCTABLES 35
Case study - MAKERSHED 37
02.2
Personal Fabrication 40
Case study - THE PERSONAL 3D PRINTER 41
Case study - ARDUINO: THE OPEN SOURCE INTELLIGENCE 43
Case study - HOW 3D PRINTING IS INFLUENCING THE WORLD 44
Case study - ARDUINO AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS 45
02.3
The New factories 46
ONLINE FABRICATION SERVICES 46
Case study - SHAPEWAYS 47
Case study - PONOKO 48
Case study - 48
VECTOREALISM
Case study - 49
QUIRKY
i n d e x
DISTRIBUTED MANUFACTURING NETWORKS 50
LOCAL PRODUCTION SHOPS 50
Case study - TECHSHOP 51
Case study - WORLD CHANGING TECHNOLOGIES BORN IN A TECHSHOP 52
Case study - FABLABS 53
02.4
Makers In Italy 54
CHALLANGES IN THE ITALIAN CONTEXT 55
Chapter three:
THE PLACE OF ENCOUNTER
03.1
INTRODUCTION TO LABUTEGA 60
03.2
A GYM FOR MAKERS 62
SPACES 66
TOOLS 67
03.3
HOW IT WORKS 68
WORKSHOPS 70
PERSONAL FABRICATION CLASSES 70
MARKETS 70
THE CREDIT SYSTEM 70
THE NETWORK 72
03.4
THE WEBSITE 76
03.5
FURTHER ANALYSIS 86
VISION 90
COST REDUCTION CUES 93
ATTENTION POINTS 94
COSTS & REVENUES 94
04.0
CONCLUSION 101
NOTES 103
BIBLIOGRAPHY 115

00.0
i n t r o d u c t i o n
II n recent years we have been design, production and distribu-
witnessing a crisis that tion of material goods and give
struck the global economy, rise to a new class of creators and
raising major complaints about producers.
an immaterial system such as that
of financial economy. Some disruptive technologies and
several cultural and economic driv-
We started to ask questions on ing forces are leading to what has
labour flexibility, instability and already been called the next in-
speed, too often considered as dustrial revolution: public access
the ingredients of success. May to digital fabrication tools, soft-
the mass production and stand- ware and databases of blueprints;
ardization be the panacea? May a tech Do-It-Yourself movement; a
abstract knowledge be separated growing desire amongst individu-
from knowledge of making? als to shape and personalize the
material goods they consume.
More and more people seem con-
vinced of the opposite, and has This could mean a lot for a coun-
begun to reflect on manual labour try like Italy, the worldwide home
and intelligence of those who work of craftsmanship and small and
with their hands. medium enterprise, if the figure of
the craftsman will have the ability
Starting from the United States, to renew itself, associating with the
where we witnessed the recovery potential of the web, of the new me-
(social and economic) of the value dia, and of the new technological
of manual work and craft, there tools.
are many who believe that the fu-
ture necessarily has the need to Labutega presents itself as a new
rediscover the makers. making space inserted into the
urban fabric of Milano, a meet-
We are now experiencing the first ing point between tradition and
stages of a democratization of innovation, and a catalyst for a
manufacturing, a trend that prom- crucial process for the Italian
ises to revolutionize the means of cultural and social development.
77
01
CHAPTER ONE
T H E A R T i S A N
T R A D I T I O N
01
the
artesan
tradition
a r t e s a n :
Un artesan l’è un lavuradur espert che’l
dröva arnes, machinari e materi prim per
fà sü o trasfurmà rob vari.
from Wikipedia in Lumbaart language
LLaabbuutteeggaa -- TThhee eennccoouunntteerr ooff aarrttiissaann ttrraaddiittiioonn aanndd ddiiyy iinnnnoovvaattiioonn iinn tthhee nneeww mmaakkiinngg ssppaaccee 99
01
01.1
the
artesan
tradition t h e
D E F I N I T I O N
here are several definitions dexterity. The link between craft
TT
for the word craftsman- and craftsmanship is so close that
ship, but making a sum- sometimes assume, for craftsmen
mary of some of these we can say on one hand, and for the users-
that the term, derived from art, in buyers on the other hand, con-
the broadest sense ‘capacity to act flicting values , even opposite. For
and produce, according to a par- craftsmen, in fact, the dexterity
ticular set of rules and cognitive is, in many cases, an ability that
experiences and techniques’ 1, de- allows to realize products as far
fine an economic activity aimed as possible ‘perfect’, ie, regular,
at the produc- finished, well-
tion of not serial T H E C R A F T decorated, adher-
goods and serv- O B J E C T , W H I C H ing to the rules
ices , made with- of symmetry.
B E A R S V I S I B L E
in a family group In the stress to-
S I G N S O F
or with a limited wards achieving
T H E H U M A N
number of work- the ‘perfect’ work
ers, according H A N D , E V E N I F are implicit eras-
to a working cy- I M P E R F E C T , I S ure and the invis-
cle in whole or ibility of the hand
R AT H E R U N I Q U E ,
in part devoid of that has done the
C U S T O M I Z E D ,
machinery. work, according
‘ S I G N E D ’
The craftsman is to a concept al-
in fact the eco- ready widespread
nomic operator in the creative in the the ancient world and the
phase of an object and in the fol- medieval era, which saw in the
lowing exchange engages in a di- most important works of art the
rect way with its own instruments, intervention of a divine rather
resorting mainly the manual dex- than human hand.
terity.
For their part, buyers-users gen-
The craft is therefore tied, in an erally have shared this same at-
unavoidable way, to the use of titude, especially in ancient and
the body, and in particular to the ‘traditional’ societies, consistent-
1100 Labutega - The encounter of artisan tradition and diy innovation in the new making space