Nomad Manual

8/14/2019 Nomad Manual

1/18

BLUEPRINTS FOR A NOMADIC LIFESTYLE


2/18

Urban Nomad Inspiration

INSPIRATIONIn the late 1940s a young design student in Chicago named KenIsaacs was confronted by a serious shelter problem. Needing

housing for himself and his new wife as well as enough space to

carry out his work but just barely able to afford a tiny two-room

city apartment, Isaacs needed a way to get more practical use

from limited space. With a leap of imagination that anticipated

the Lofting movement that would come some time later, he de-

vised a novel home-made structure of bolt-together wooden parts

which organized the one main room of his apartment into a

two level set of small stacked spaces of specialized function, ex-

ploiting the full volume of the limited room space. This Living

Structure, as Isaacs came to call it, combined lounge, ofce/study,

bedroom and storage all into its one cubical frame structure, its furnish-

ings all integrated and made from the same modular bolted-together

2x2 sticks and simple sheets of press-board. It was like a whole home

intergated into a single piece of home-made furniture which could be

spontaneously adapted to its inhabitants changing needs by

simply rearranging its parts. This immediately drew the atten-

tion of other designers and was soon featured in a number of

magazine article. Intrigued by the versatility of this structure,

Isaacs was soon obsessed with adapting the concept to an in-

nite diversity of uses, evolving it into a standardized system

of modular building he called Matrix which anyone could use

to build just about anything. Thus was formed one of the keyfoundations for a brief but remarkable design movement that

would eventually be known as the Urban Nomad movement.


3/18


The Urban Nomads were not designing static artifacts

for their aesthetic value or novelty but rather were culti-

vating a new kind of vernacular technology -a system of

DIY fabrication which could be freely employed by any-

one with simple tools and materials. So when they shared

the results of their design efforts it was in the manner of

sharing DIY instructions, not objects. In essence, these

people were the Open Source programmers of their day.

Isaacs spent decades spreading the word about Living Structures and the light living

philosophy they embodied through seminars, articles, and courses conducted in design

schools around the US. Simultaneously, he and his followers continued to experiment

with an increasing diversity of applications, culminating in the development of what

Isaacs referred to as Microhouses; tiny simple buildings based on a stressed-skin ply-

wood structure and using an external support structure based on galvanized steel pipe

joined with modular pipe-ttings. (such as todays Kee Klamp products) The applica-

tion of free-standing housing seems to have pushed the practical limits of the Matrixtechnology. Isaacs succeeded in creating a variety of very interesting structures but he

was never able to devise any systems of weatherproong which could withstand any

extremes of climate or last for long periods. Likewise, his volumetric use of space

tended to create habitats that would be fairly useless for the elderly or the disabled.

Isaacs apparently did not consider this a setback. He intended Microhouses for a no-

madic youth culture, not as anything which might compete with conventional housing.

OPENSOUR

CE


4/18


The Urban Nomads were a scattered community of young designe

shared a common image of an emerging highly mobile and very soph

ed youth culture which sought liberty through simple technologies

sufciency. It wasnt a back to the earth ideology based on recrea

agrarian lifestyle. It was about living light for the sake of mobility w

liance on self-made artifacts made from common materials and indcast-offs for the sake of economy and efciency, the off-the-shelf pr

of the consumer culture simply being impractical -too expensive, c

some, inefcient in their use of materials and space- for a nomadic li

THEURBAN

NOMAD


5/18

Urban Nomad Contemporary Context

WHAT IS HOME


6/18


YUR

Perhaps one of the

known semi-permane

is the Mongolian Yurt

structures are built u

trellis structure cover

insulation and weath

vas. They are transpor

back, and vary in siz

feet in diameter upwa

large enough for who

live inside comfortably

stitutes for brick and mYurts have proven the

through hundreds of

ing, and are made from

cyclable and sustainab


7/18


COMPACTCompact Living is a key element of Nomadismcarry your life around, your life must be more

Items carried are neccessities, and hence the sp

to live is lessened, more compact and ultimatel

table. Indeed, for some, compact spaces are som

cessity in themselves. Air Hostesses need rest qua

haul ights, and enjoy an arrangement similar t

pod hotel. Workers and researchers in harsh e

(such as the antarctic) require structures that ca

the weather conditions, and these tend to be s

the green pod here. Even entrepeneurs are mak

of compact spaces. Left, a hotel room built insewer pipe provides a compact and private spa


8/18

Urban Nomad Contemporary Contect PORTA

BILIT

Y

Items must be chosen in terms of portability. This is a combination of both co

lightweight items. Often, as with the bed to the left, the construction of an item

it may be packed into a small size during transportation, but can then be exp

use. Below, a trolley system is used to aid the portability of larger items for an


9/18


MATERIAL

Choice of material is crucial. In 1963, the director of

Heineken designed a bottle that, after use, could be

used as a building brick. Sadly, the idea was never re-

leased into the public realm, but the concept could have

changed the way we recycle goods. Innovative use ofmaterials, recycled or otherwise, can help the urban no-

mad to maximize usibility, durability and packability.


10/18


MULTI-USEOne way of reducing the weight, quantitiy and dynamics of items is toensure that items have more than one possible use. A ne example of this

is origami, where one square of paper can form any of thousands of dif-

ferent models. Shown here is the art of Furoshiki, where a single square

of fabric utilised in various ways in order to wrap and carry objects of all

different shapes and sizes. After use, the fabric is simply untied and un-

folded back into a square, ready for another use. If this concept could be

adopted more widely, luggage could hold an entirely different meaning.


11/18

Urban Nomad Specifcation

SPECIFICATION

It is my belief that a nomadic home built for the urban environment must full the following specications:

It must be tranportable on foot, by one person, and hence must weigh no more than 25kg (based on EU regulations for load carrying in the workplace

One person must be able to contruct it up alone.

It must be large enough for two people to move freely inside

It must be inconspicuous in an urban landscape

It must be adaptable, and make use of forgotten spaces such as corners or rooftops.

It must be usable on an everyday basis, and hence must provide the means for basic needs such as cooking, washing, hygeine etc.

It must provide a private space.

It must be realtively cheap, so as to appeal to the target age range of 18-35 year olds.

It must be fairly sustainable in its construction, and have a small carbon footprint; it must touch the earth lightly.


12/18

Urban Nomad Concept

INITIAL CONCEPTDesigned to t into corners and other unusual spaces, this shelter has multiple congurations,

ranging from a simple tube, a tent-like ridgeline shelter, or this wedge like tetrahedron. The

habitant would sleep toward the low end of the shelter, and work, cook and relax in the por-

tion with maximum headroom. The structure, made from a strong but light nylon could have

an insert, as visualised to the right, which could contain pockets, hanging rails or insulation

depending on the users needs. The structure needs no internal support, only a single tie off

onto another structure, such as a nearby building or mast. If such a structure is not available,

a single pole could be used as support. The shape of the shelter is not only structurally strong

but would also deect wind or adverse weather condtions with ease. The upper plane would

be perfect for solar panels, mounted on the fabric, to gain maximum exposure to sunlight.


13/18

Urban Nomad Concept

CONCEPT MODELA scale model of the nomadic shelter concept sketched previously. The centre

a conguration in which, still with only one xing point, the shelter is able t

front and back areas raised, with the front open to the environment. The shelt

into the corner space, with a protected rear entrance. The uppermost triangu

fabric could be used to harvest rainwater, hence providing the shelter with a w


14/18

Urban Nomad Concept

PROTOTYPEA full-scale prototpe, shown here situated on a rooftop sourcing power from a wind

turbine. Rooftops serve the purposes of an Urban Nomad well, as they are largely

unused spaces, and tend to be of some size. Not only this, but they are by default

situated off the streets, and hence are sheltered from the problems one might en-

counter residing on the street. However, rooftop situations are not as sheltered from

the weather, which (especially with this type of shelter) could prove problematic.


15/18

Urban Nomad Concept

INTERNAL SPAC

The exterior shape of this shelter denes the zoning of the internal space. At one end, the

and wide; a perfect sleeping space. In the middle, the shelter is of medium width and tall eno

workspace, then. Further toward the entrance, although narrower, the shelter is tall enough

ly; an entrance hall or showering area. Nearest the door one may sit or stand, though the s

wide enough for one. This space may be used for general seating or perhaps a hygeine area.

spine allows for items such as lamps to be fastened to the structure of the tent, and a variety o

could be designed to suit the needs of each individual user, and to further differentiate zones wi


16/18

Urban Nomad Communications

TOILETSSHOWERS

POWER

WIFI

SECURIT

Y

COMM

UNITY

MATERIALS

FOOD

COM

MUN

ICATIO

NS A code system designed to assist Urban Nomads in sharing knowledge of their other Nomads. The code is decifered in the image to the left, while the linked ima

take you to a digital version of how the code might be used. Essentially, the white ar

a digital screen with qualities much like paper. These will have an adhesive backin

allowing them to be wirelessly updated. Nomads will upload information about sit

phone or over the internet, and the site host will then update the relevant inform

e-sticker, which will be stuck on a lampost or suchlike at the location in question. A

do is look at the sticker, and navigate its various screens to determine the suitab


17/18

Urban Nomad Initial Aids

TOO

MUCH/ENOUGH

A set of aids designed to help an individual con

possessions into only the most necessary items

abling them to become more nomadic, more

Too Much bin bags will display the message

the bags have been used (although the contents w

fully be recycled, not thrown away). The Eno

would come as a set, with different sized boxe

ent sets of things. The box shown here is desig

tain just the right amount of clothing for one

more, no less. When the box is sufciently full, t

Enough, becomes apparent. Less want mean

which in turn means one needs less money, hen

work less and have more time for the important th


18/18

Urban Nomad Catalyst

THE NOMAD LECTURESA LECTURE SERIES SEEKING TO REDEFINE HOME

12 - 18th JULY AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HERE

HEREHERE

STIMUL

As with any social movement, there mu

alyst. In many cases, the roots of a mo

traced back to a particular book or speec

people to act. With this in mind, this pos

series of lectures, The Nomad Lecture

(nomadically) across a city. Each location

speaker, and each speaker covers a diffe

is of concern to someone seeking a m

lifestyle. With any luck, this set of lectthe beginning of a new Urban Nomad

Date post:	30-May-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	thefeltproductive4090
View:	241 times
Download:	0 times

Nomad Manual

Documents