English portfolio Studio Bas Sala
The Smart Rainbarrel:
We are dealing with increasingly extreme weather. Longer periods of drought with large amounts of rain in a short time. That makes the city vulnerable and affects us all: residents, businesses and municipalities. During long dry periods the city feels clammy and hot. During heavy rainfall the sewer can no longer cope with the amount of water, mainly because of the many asphalt and tiled gardens. Therefore, governmental institutions together with companies are looking for innovative solutions to make the city more climate-proof.
Studio Bas Sala developed “The Smart Rainbarrel”. This rain barrel is smart because it can be operated and controlled online. The barrels together form a network that is linked to the local weather forecast so that the rain barrels operate optimally.
Through online weather analysis the fully automatic system ensures that the barrels are full during dry periods and empty before extreme rainfall. The Smart Rainbarrel is a simple and fun way to use rainwater and create more awareness about resilient cities and climate change.
Studio Bas Sala designs and produces rainbarrels, these are large eye catchers for the public space. Appealing objects for community gardens, Wall barrels for watering community green and smaller barrels for private backyards.
Residents play an important role in this joint task and can place a Smart Rainbarrel in their own garden and participate in making the neighborhood more climate proof. In this way we work together on the awareness of climate change and how to more consciously absorb and retain rain and create extra capacity to absorb rainwater in the city.
With the Smart RainBarrel, everyone will be able to contribute to a better management of rainwater. For more information, visit: www.smartrainbarrel.com
Mtic design project
The MTic-design knowledge exchange program seeks to create professional design knowledge by developing innovative products through international cooperation of Colombian and Dutch designers, and to capture the emerging knowledge in order to share it with an as large as possible audience.
Dutch designers will team up in duos with designers from Colombia. Each duo will design an interior product in a long-distance collaboration. The product will result from the fusion of the different methodologies, approaches and aesthetics based on their (design) culture and personal style. Each duo will work with one of three themes, namely water, local-local and seduction respectively aiming at societal utility, cultural awareness, and consumer attractiveness. Their task is also to investigate the production possibilities of the prototypes they developed.
Design universities from Colombia and the Netherlands will research the design processes of the teams, the contribution of the design cultures to the results and the contribution of intercultural collaboration to innovation. The intercultural collaboration will also be measured from an international business point of view.
Studio Bas Sala and Woltering Works are the initiators of the mtic the design project
Big Data Furniture
Studio Bas Sala is one of the initiators of the Hefpark project. After taking into consideration the local needs and opportunities that were addressed along with other societal and environmental criteria, modern furniture were designed for the entire park. The project is after all a community-centered one and following the principles of a public participatory approach it included the residents' perspective both at the phase of development and implementation. Local opinion matters, both from the citizens' and the professionals' viewpoint. The design consists of both a physical and programmatic component, in the form of activities. The square, the seating areas, the paths and BMX dirt tracks were finished in the spring 2014. In the following years, the design will be enriched with new elements and the programming will adjust to the local needs of the neighborhood and the public's interests. The emphasis is on the process and inclusiveness, while the local citizens will collaborate with a mixed group of professionals from the local area. The core aspect of the project is the citizen-driven initiative to take part in that community project and contribute through on-going processes.
Hefpark
Studio Bas Sala is one of the initiators of the Hefpark project. After taking into consideration the local needs and opportunities that were addressed along with other societal and environmental criteria, modern furniture were designed for the entire park. The project is after all a community-centered one and following the principles of a public participatory approach it included the residents' perspective both at the phase of development and implementation. Local opinion matters, both from the citizens' and the professionals' viewpoint. The design consists of both a physical and programmatic component, in the form of activities. The square, the seating areas, the paths and BMX dirt tracks were finished in the spring 2014. In the following years, the design will be enriched with new elements and the programming will adjust to the local needs of the neighborhood and the public's interests. The emphasis is on the process and inclusiveness, while the local citizens will collaborate with a mixed group of professionals from the local area. The core aspect of the project is the citizen-driven initiative to take part in that community project and contribute through on-going processes.
Pop up busstop
Pop-up bus stop
In collaboration with Floor van Ditzhuyzen (De Ontwerpwerkplaats) and Sander van der Ham (Stipo), Studio Bas Sala won the competition of Slim-OV idea of 2013. The PUB is a temporary bus stop that is placed at detours and festivals. It is a striking object in the public space, similar to a billboard, offering the possibility to spread information about the traffic movement or to respond to a prominent festival or event.
Based on upcoming activities, attractions etc., there are sometimes bus stops which are temporarily moved, and so far consist of a regular stop pole and a platform; a sin! The regular stops in Rotterdam can now have a high-quality design and appearance. The Pop-Up Bushalte might not completely stop the annoyance that traffic congestion always causes but it can certainly soften the pain, providing additional information about the reason of the congestion and the estimated duration.
When organizing a festival, there comes the option to promote that or the upcoming bands etc. The bus stop will be flexible in terms of installment and transportation. Advertising through the 'PUB' can significantly limit the costs, as it is indeed an advertising object (similar to guerrilla advertising tactics, like the Flash Mob).
Picnicboulevard Wielwijk
'Picnickboulevard' objective is to encourage social interaction and public gathering by creating new meeting places in the park. The design consists of five picnic tables, located at the edge of the park Wielwijk. Each of those is unique and has a different use based on the type of the gathering/picnic. DubbelDubbelzitter is one of the conceptual tables, suitable for individuals, one or even two couples, offering them the space and comfort to enjoy. Time matters and future is valued in Studio Bas Sala's concept, so the design of the tables included the seasonal aspect. More specifically, one of the banks partially hangs over the water and when the weather allows it and the water gets frozen, you can put your skates on this. These five unique objects were designed in a such way as to add a value in the place itself and connect the district with the park.
The Yellow Building
Studio Bas Sala is one of the five parties who initiated the redevelopment of the Yellow building, located in the ZoHo area in Rotterdam. Together with Stipo, SPIN city developers, Van Schagen architects, KCR and the owner, we co-developed a concept for this former office building. Step by step, we and our fellow tenants transform the building into an ideal surrounding and working environment for co-creation. with the goal to create a place that has a strong sense of communication and collaboration.
ZoHoLab
ZoHoLab is the spatial meeting place for Zomerhofkwartier, a place for creative entrepreneurs, a place to experience Zoho concepts, a place for experimentation and definitely a place to enjoy a good coffee.
The lab serves as a front office for Zoho area and is where parties from both outside and inside the region cooperate enthusiastically and effectively. The ZohoLab's identity arises from cooperation and collaboration and is also the place where new forms of enterprise and work are created, as the spatial and programmatic conditions encourage so.
The lab is staffed by recently young graduated designers, supervised by Bas Sala and Jan Melis.
ZohoLab is an initiative of DesignPort Rotterdam.
Profile Studio Bas Sala
Studio Bas Sala is an interdisciplinary design studio in Rotterdam. We design and make products, objects, and (interactive) installations. We operate globally with projects in Europe and Latin America. In the well equipped workshop (Including cnc mills, 3d printer) we produce our products and make architectural and urban models for other companies.
Our designs invite you to sit, play, think, do nothing and often raise a smile. Innovation, interdisciplinary cooperation ( with professionals and non-professionals ) and qualitatively high end products play a central role in our work. In our work concept development and practical research play an important role. Many of our projects are self initiated and focus not only on the physical design, but also on the way they are used.