By Max Steinert
After two days of conceptualizing and designing ideas to help better Madrid’s Plaza Jardines del Arquitecto Ribera, it was time to bring our thoughts to life through 3-D printing and laser cutting at the Los Hacedores (the makers) workshop. We knew the day was going to be busy, but we were all very excited to try out some of the revolutionary technologies available in today’s world. When we arrived their studio, we were split into two groups. One group would design prints in the morning and the other would cut, then we’d switch after lunch. I was placed in the 3-D printing group, and after a long and informative explanation of Tinkercad, the program we’d be using, we got started with our design. My partner and I decided to design an ashtray, because the plaza was dirtied with an abundance of cigarette butts. Tinkercad was simple and fun to use, and after many hours we had a finished product.
Following an hour long lunch break we switched stations. On the laser cutting we designed bike racks and signs. It was a bit more difficult, but with perseverance and effort, we once again had a finished product. The designs were cool, functional, and minimal. To conclude, although the day was a lot of hard work, being able to see a finished product in the end made it super fulfilling.
