Cut/Fill was a reaction to a call for a site-specific intervention in an empty lot. The projects seeks to strengthen the fabric of the city, by developing a system that is simple to create, and that encourages dialogue concerning design, landscape and resources.
The Cut/Fill idea can be constructed by community residents in a weekend, with the use of readily available materials and tools. First, the residents determine the layout for a particular site, and purchase the appropriate quantity of cardboard tubing. The holes for the seating are then dug out with shovels, and the diplaced soil is moved directly to the cardboard “planters.” Once the seating holes are dug, cardboard tubes cut to 15″ height are inserted, creating retaining walls. Loose gravel is poured into the floor of the seats, to prevent them from becoming muddy, while the soil-filled planters are then planted with flowering annuals, indigenous grasses, etc. If any plants, for example grass, were at the digging site, they could be replanted/transplanted into the planters.
Recognition:
Finalist Architecture for Humanity: Street Furniture Competition, Chicago IL, 2010
DesignLabWorkshop is an inter-disciplinary studio with a focus on the intersection between art, furniture and architecture. The team is founder Brian Peters, an architect with Masters degrees from universities in both the US and Spain, and designer Daphne Firos, a graphic designer with a Master in Design and Art Direction. Together they work on a wide range of projects that explore contemporary ideas in design.
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