TEN has decided to exhibit again at 100% Design 2009.  This year we work on extended theme of sustainability and advancecd technology, together with Metropolitan Works in East London.

For initial discussion on the project, we visited their facility and found what facility we are able to explore.

Metropolitan Works has digital manufacturing facilities;
Rapid Prototype
3D Scanning
Laser Cutting
Water-jet Cutting
CNC Routing
CAD and computer Aided support

We have exciting tools in our hands, sustainable mind in our heart.

After all the hastle on finding a partner manufacturer, all the trials had so far failed, but we have not given up yet, making first prototypes by ourselves!  We will make our show!!

We visited a factory in South England. They have fantastic traditional products, mainly used in workshop environment, also tools are sold through Iron mongaries and tool marchants.

They are consious about environmental issues, numbers of their materials are FSC certified. They are good people, have spirits of craftsmanship, taking care of material waste and naturally reduce packaging.

We though they are ideal co-operator for our products, but there is a big problem – cost. Getting good material, running facilities, paying their craftspeople, transporting goods and managins company is very costly activities. In the end, we have to give up working with them, because the cost of our products never matches our price target.

This is, in fact, key issue of how Design is located in the existing market, as well as acheving some level of sustainability in it.

We, 10 designers had a meeting before Christmas and have decided that we are running the TEN project again this year. We are trying to make the project sustainable for us, too – as it should be. More actions, more conversations and discussions will arise.