I wanted to pay homage to a time when bytes were a precious commodity, so I modeled and 3D printed a 3" floppy disk and embedded a USB drive. To reduce the size of the 8GB USB drive, I created a file using the command line that left only 1.44mb of free space. I then altered the read/write permissions of the file and hid it so that it doesn't appear in the file explorer, leaving the user with only 1.44mb of usable storage space.
The light house is a project used to showcase the principles of human-hearted design and how design, as a practise, can become a dialogue between equals. The concept has proved to be a viable, and sustainable, alternative to the existing low-cost housing in South Africa that is both unnatractive, and is considered by most occupants to be uninhabitable.
In 2014 I worked as a contracted designer for Logans Originals, a boutique lighting solutions company based in Cape Town, South Africa. During that time, I worked as the sole designer on a project for the Ocean Sun Casino in the Trump Ocean Club International Hotel & Tower in Panama City, Panama. We were provided with concept sketches by the contracted Interior Design firm and it was my responsibility to manage the design for manufacture of fifteen separate chandeliers and lighting solutions. The entire process, from design and manufacture to shipping took was completed in just over two months. I helped oversee the manufacture of each design with various sub-contractors, produced all the 3D models, renders, and hundreds of pages of design drawings.
Thousands of South Africans are displaced, injured or killed in 'shack fires' every year. These families come from low-income households and live in informal housing, often referred to as "Shacks" in the South African context. These structures are fabricated from found materials, such as zinc roof sheeting and cardboard, and offer little protection from the elements. Portable paraffin stoves are the primary source of heat and are also used for cooking inside the dwellings. These stoves are prone to falling and, if left unattended, are the cause of a large percentage of the fires. Due to the high population density of these settlements,and close proximity of the structures, along with the flammable materials used to construct the shacks, fires start and spread at a very rapid rate. The fireproof shack project focuses on using design to help solve the existing problem.
I attained my Bachelor of Technology degree in Industrial Design back in 2012. This is a digital copy of my design portfolio from the time.