A big thank you goes to 3dvia staff for taking the time to solve uploading issues! Thanks again Don and Marc!

This is my final version of my Eco Crate Desk.
The first version can be found at http://www.3dvia.com/FatherT3d/models/AA7F4DA0B28496A8.

At first glance, it is a crate, but once separated into 3 main parts, it can be remounted as a chair + desk

This design follows the 3 Rs rules:

[ Reduce ]

- reducing the amount of waste (no screws, few moving parts).

- few wasted space: crates can be stacked together since they are perfectly square.

[ Recycle ]

- such a design can be easily created from recycled plastic.

- all parts can be recycled when worn out

[ Reuse ]

- the entire crate is turned into a comfortable chair and its aesthetic and useful desk.

- it could be reused by anyone, but especially by schools in developing countries, if manufacturing costs are kept low (this seems realistic since the shape of the crate itself remains simple)

This model has been entirely created within 3DVIA Shape 3.0.

In this version, I have reworked the seat using the new freeform tools in order to make it more comfortable (I have yet to try it :)

I have also tried to figure out how to assemble and manufacture the crate with as few moving parts as possible (you can see holes and cylinders acting as ‘screws’), while trying to keep at the same time a fully functional crate and a comfortable desk.

The materials are kept simple and cost-effective, but should remain sturdy: the whole model could be simply conceived in pure white recycled plastic. The deep green color is only here to remind the eco-friendly design and makes the different parts of the model easily identifiable.

Download the model in 3DVIA Shape to see the plastic bump-mapped shaders in action!

Great concept! Lots of room inside for other things too.

Oh, I see that billybobsue already made that suggestion on the earlier model:

“Great concept!! It even looks as though it could be reasonably ergonomic.

For even better use of space and to help developing economies, use the left-over space inside to include a “One Laptop per Child” ( http://laptop.org/en/ – no, I’m not in any way associated with them) and some writing tools and even some books! A school seat in a box!”

Great idea, since the future of the world depends on our children!!

Excellent concept indeed Fivos, congrats! With this idea you are perfectly in line with the spirit of eco-packaging and the 3R concept, by merging the “packaging” with the “packaged”. Plus, being myself an advocate of education in developing countries ( http://www.3dvia.com/aurel3d/models/807464B6889AACBE ), I can only be supportive of the idea :) So definitely, two thumbs up!

Thank you Don and Aurelien for your comments!
I would love to see such a design being manufactured to help nature and developing countries at the same time!

By the way, Aurelien, that school model is impressive!

love it~

Wow! That’s a great compliment from someone as active as you, who has uploaded at least 470 models! Thanks sady!

For [Recycle] : why don’t you use recycled paper board to make it?

Thanks for your interest!
That’s a good question indeed. I have thought about recycled cardboard furniture, but did not know if the crates would be sturdy enough nor waterproof. But such a version could definitely be interesting to try! Note that the model is available for Remix in 3dviashape, if anyone wants to improve it further, beyond the contest deadline!

Since cardboard/paperboard is porous, I wouldn’t be surprised if a way could be found to soak them in a heat or chemical catalyzed solution to strengthen and waterproof them.

More than 10 years I was joking with my boss of the time that his cost specifications for the low cost circuit board tester we were designing were a joke unless we made it out of cardboard and soaked it in resin, basically a wicked cheap composite material. We never did that, but I’ve always wanted to see someone do something similar.

Thanks Don for this very interesting suggestion! If a material expert could tell us whether this would be feasible in real-life, I would love to know it!

Congratulations! When I saw this model, I thought it might win!

Thanks toymaker!

I’ve been making models for a long time but always hesitated to share them online. I thought that this idea of transformable crate was worth it, although I wasn’t as inspired as you were concerning the material it is made from :)

I really like your models by the way (characters especially): you seem to be mastering SketchUp!

i could make some military remixes for this(from metal,with rabatable antenas,screens and others)

To be honest, I’d rather see people reusing and remixing it for educational / humanitarian purposes rather than military ones, but since the model is available for remixing, the final choice is yours. That said, I’d be interested to see how technology could be efficiently and cheaply added to the original design.

Google “cardboard composite” and you’ll find some interesting solutions. This one is simple – http://microship.com/resources/cardboard-core-composites.html – this one is a little too macabre – http://www.yourfuneralchapel.com/futuralite-cardboard-composite-waffle/ – but there are definitely people using cardboard for serious manufacturing – http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/4946552/claims.html – maybe billybobsue isn’t crazy :P.

well,if you don’t mind so much,ft3d,i will surely make it in one day…

‘maybe billybobsue isn’t crazy’
did you tough anyway?

I don’t understand “did you tough anyway”. I don’t think any of our users are really crazy – just some have crazy ideas :D.

YOU said it!
and i tough ‘so that you were thinking’
almost 9 years of engllish classes for nothing!

OK, so I got the main message. Thanks for the clarification. Don’t forget, we work very hard to make English as difficult as possible to learn. You’re doing great for “only” 9 years!

@dswavely
Thanks for the links (especially the less macabre ones :) ! Interesting information indeed! Unfortunately, I am not very skilled when it comes to building stuff in real-life… I might give shapeways a try, although they do not seem to use ‘eco’ materials (by the way, wouldn’t it be great to create a ‘bridge’ between 3dvia.com and shapeways.com?). And, as far as I know, billybobsue is definitely NOT crazy but full of insightful advice (or have I missed something?)

@sady2
Well I DO mind if my design ends up bringing death around the world instead of helping people, obviously!! But I cannot see what I can do t o avoid such uses now that the model is widely available (there is no non-military clause among the available Creative Commons Licences). What I would like to see though, is how some stuff, like solar panels, and communication systems could be integrated without making the final product complicated or expensive (see dswavely’s link!). All this, hopefully, for pacific purposes! After all, the Internet and GPS hardware weren’t initialy created to allow people prepare easily their holidays!

Thus, I thought that the ‘cover’ of the crate, which eventually becomes the base of the chair, could enclose some electronic components, while keeping them safe while in ‘crate’ form. Perhaps a high-tech version of this crate could be made!

Oh, and while I am at it, since many people have been asking and since you wrote ‘ft3d’, ‘FatherT3d’ is just a reference to one of my favorite characters: ‘Father Ted’ (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzYzVMcgWhg to discover where my avatar comes from :)