The Cart is a simple construction of wood and steel; it features a series of elements that support the tasks of the print shop. An extendable surface caps the cart for both material transport and work support. When collapsed the cart moves between the machines, zones of the print shop. When extended the surface grows in length from 30� to 48� becoming a mobile table, bar, or island station. A trough is suspended beneath the work surface, bent to facilitate the immediate storage of useful tools and paper supplies. A shelf below the trough is a place where temporary objects are stored, keeping the above elements free and open to support the immediate needs of a fluctuating work process.
The cart’s geometry is defined by the porportion of the human body and movement throughout the space. The 18� width allows for ease of movement and control, while the 48� length resonates with the scale of the room itself. Two-thirds are always free for movement, while one-third remains immediately accessible as a mobile table, bar, or island station. The geometrey is then refined by the golden section, a ratio with significant natural and mathematic resonance. It is found historically in music, art, and architecture, and relates proporationally to the human body.
By using 18� as the base unit within the golden section each piece of the cart has a derivative and harmonious resonance with the overall whole.
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1. work surface 2. trough 3. steel structure: bent and streched 4, wood structure: split and cantilevered 5. shelf 6. caster wheel 7. fixed-axis wheel
Trough Variations The trough is divided by two usable planes, one accessible from the cart’s rear, the other from the cart’s sides. The form stipulates what can be held and how it is accessed. Below are three potential iterations. 1. Flat: more storage volume and easy accessibility, visually distracting profile, subtracts from shelf storage below 2. Hybrid: maintains clear formal logic, moderate accessiblity and item storage 3. Sloped: strong formal gesture, limited accessiblity and storage capacity
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Shelf Variations The shelf balances the overall gesture of the cart. Shown adjacent are three variable shelf heights, each holds its own practical and emotional constraints. The determination of the preferred shelf height will depend on the nessecary storage capacity and its impact on the composition of the cart.
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