Greg Lynn won the Golden Lion for the best installation project at the 2008 Venice Architectural Biennale, for this series of furniture made from recycled children’s toys.
The pieces include four tables with plastic panelite tops, a low bench, a storage wall, a coat rack and a cylindrical shoe closet.
Lynn has two children and he recycles their unused toys into ‘bricks’ to create furniture and other usable objects. The toys are laser scanned and digitized into a computer. Their intersections are defined as cutting paths and then a robot precisely cuts their joints and connections. The toy bricks are then welded together with a tool that is normally used to repair car fenders.
The end result is fantastic, but given the complex nature of their construction, these are probably not an ideal DIY project for overwhelmed parents with a house cluttered full of unused toys.
Furniture From Recycled Toys
Greg Lynn's Eco Welding
Trend Themes
1. Upcycled Furniture - Creating furniture or usable objects from recycled materials presents an opportunity for businesses to address waste reduction.
2. Laser Scanning - The use of laser scanning in creating products may lead to a more precise and efficient production process for manufacturing industries.
3. Robot-assisted Welding - The use of welding robots to connect and build products may lead to more efficient and consistent production processes for manufacturing industries.
Industry Implications
1. Furniture Manufacturing - Furniture manufacturers can explore using innovative, eco-friendly materials, such as recycled children's toys, to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.
2. Toy Manufacturing - Toy manufacturers can reduce waste by exploring ways to repurpose unused toys in a variety of innovative and functional ways.
3. Automotive Manufacturing - The use of robot-assisted welding technology may enhance production processes and product quality in the automotive industry.