From a high perch above valleys and lakes below, a new contemporary shelter is open to traveling cyclists in central Chile. This contemporary shelter is now open to passers by, providing a safe and peaceful place to rest while taking in the picturesque views beyond. To the architect, cycling is a special way of experiencing the Chilean countryside, and providing safe overnight resting places allows tourists to extend their reach deeper into Chile.
The exterior of the Endless Cycling architecture experiment by Rodrigo Cáceres Céspedes is angular, faceted and expressive. It is coated with a permeable sheen that allows light and breezes to pass into the interior, while sheltering the occupants from rain and inclement weather. Inside, raised bed bases provide sleeping areas upon which a cyclist can rest comfortably with their own sleeping gear. Bikes can be hung from a storage system in the entryway, locked in place by the cyclists lock of choice. There is no attendant and no reservation is needed, it is a public camping exercise that is open to any passing cyclist.
The Endless Cycling shelter is open now in central Chile, just south of Santiago in the Maule region. [photography by Patricia Albornoz Avendaño and Rodrigo Cáceres Céspedes]
View in gallery
View in gallery
View in gallery
View in gallery
Contemporary Camping Shelter – Chile | Gallery
3D printers – and what they represent – are downright awesome. Because of them, any creative individual can design, print, and create their own products, from toys to machines to awesome sculptures and gadgets. The main problem with the gadgets in their current incarnation is that they’re sort of limited in size – there are certain things which they simply cannot print, by virtue of the parts being too big to fit. That’s where the BigRep comes in. This large-scale 3D printer is capable of cobbling together objects of over a cubic meter in size, with an impressive degree of accuracy (its dual tool heads offer 100 micron resolution).
Of course, the trade-off is that BigRep isn’t exactly a desktop rig: it weighs in at around 240 kilograms and measures around half a meter high and wide. In other words, this is something you’re going to want to set up in your garage or basement; I highly doubt it’d be feasible to set it up in your office. Alright, so we’ve established that this thing is basically the Big Bertha of 3D printers…but what can it do?
Like with most other gadgets of its ilk, the sky’s the limit. Want to use it to populate your entire house with modern-looking furniture that’d put Ikea to shame? You could do that. Want to cobble together your own human-sized autonomous manservant? You could probably do that with a bit of effort. Want to construct a bucket? Yeah…you can do that too.
Unfortunately, the BigRep One carries a pretty hefty price-tag, which means it’s probably outside the price range of the average consumer: buying one’ll set you back around $4,000. Still, .I can think of a few people willing to shell out to basically have their own personal factory. I know I certainly would, had I the funds.
View in gallery
Bigrep 3D Printer | Gallery
