Most making/manufacturing facilities were pushed or moved voluntarily out of the city centre because of the economic viabilities, logistical requirements, pollution it generates, etc. Extreme neoliberalist profiteering normalised the concept of offshore manufacturing, which has a significant environmental impact, by raising the productivities and efficiencies to uncharted territory. The worldis obsessed with maximum profit and economic growth gauged only by the quantitative measures, and this needs to be reassessed to find the right balance of quantity vs quality. The brief aims to use ‘CRAFT’ as one of the mediators to achieve this equilibrium.
Re-introducing making in the city is more valid as many new making facilities or factories are cleaner and can find the new footings in the urban environment. Being in the city has tremendous upsides as it is closer to skilled workers, suppliers and research and development centres, as well as creating a brand recognition/connection with the consumer.
The project is divided into two parts. The first part is to investigate a type of product to be made for a proposal. You will research the manufacturing processes and map its operation (partial or whole)through a set of drawing(s). It is important to understand the making processes of your chosen product as it will be a key to build your own program / schedule of accommodation. The second part, you will be asked to speculate how to bring back making in the city by researching and proposing a micro-factory/small-scale and high-tech making facility in Nottingham. The project will be a focal point to communicate the qualitative approach as a response to social, cultural, and economic changes.