If you own a 3D printer, your home is likely full of 3D printed objects. Even if your main reason for 3D printing is to create things to sell, most people start out using new printers to make a few things for around the house. Vases, tools, decorative items – a 3D printer is useful to have, and can save you a few trips to the store if you happen to need a new planter or kitchen implement. If you’re skilled in 3D design, there’s not much you can’t make, in fact.
While the “3D printer in every home” prediction may not end up being true, having one can be like having your own little mini-factory. Once the novelty wears off, it’s less exciting to be able to 3D print a new screwdriver than it used to be, but it’s still convenient – something many of us may take for granted. But a design studio in Warsaw wants people to really look closely at the everyday items that 3D printing can create for us – the small, day-to-day ways our lives can be changed by this technology.
UAU project is a design studio founded by Justyna Fałdzińska & Miłosz Dąbrowski, industrial design graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. They’re currently in the process of putting together a new exhibition called LAYERS, which examines how 3D printing can be used to produce everyday items for the home, and the unique benefits those items have over their mass-produced counterparts.
Neptune lamps
“We believe it’s the beginning of a new era where people will be able to 3D print well designed products for their home,” the designers state. “We design products in Warsaw, Poland but instantly they are available everywhere in the world to be 3D printed to order, without supply chain & storage, with reduced carbon footprint. Thanks to making the whole design, distribution and production process digital, our creations can be customized to fit every space.”
The environment is important to UAU project, so they 3D print everything they can out of biodegradable or recyclable materials. Many of the 3D printed items in their exhibition are designed to work with other household items, such as:
- VASE1, a 3D printed upper portion of a vase that’s designed to screw on to a jar of water
- GROWW, a miniature greenhouse that also utilizes a jar; a plant is planted in the 3D printed pot, while a jar is placed over the top to hold in heat and moisture while allowing in light
- NEPTUNE lamp, a 3D printed lamp, with three different shade options, designed to work with an IKEA cord set
- Endless Candle Holder, a candle holder made from six different 3D printed parts that can be reassembled to create different looks
Each item is carefully designed and attractive, and demonstrates how 3D printing can be used to create both beauty and functionality. The LAYERS exhibition is being organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute operating under the Culture.pl brand, and will be running from September 9th to 13th at Paris Design Week. You can learn more about LAYERS and the UAU project on Facebook and Instagram.
Discuss in the LAYERS forum at 3DPB.com.
[Images: UAU project via Instagram]
