Demotech, design for self reliance


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Description

No innovation without ample experiments. The Lab offers space for such experments, induce feedback from exhibits and is the setting for workshops.


Please visit also our wiki research pages. (D5)

Relevant information and discussion in appropedia.

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Copyright & Open Source

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Please refer to our work and provide us with usefull feedback and comments on our design initiatives.

Liability clause

We cannot be held accountable for injuries incurred during construction or usage of our designs and construction manuals.

The Demotech Lab
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In daily use Fivefold reduction of cost Applicable in modern as well as in poor economies Research Education Rural as well as urban.



Why
Crucial for innovation is the opportunity to experiment. Sometime the "field" offers such opportunities, more often innovation needs a long way to go before it can be exposed to outside criticism. Innovation often benefits from getting inspiration from similar projects being worked on at the same time. Or from the possibility to lay work aside when the right solutions fail to come, waiting for future inspiration.
Raising active support asks for ample space to exhibit results, for a meeting place, for guest rooms, for office space and a library to store books, reports and to have access to a digital archive and video.

How
In 2004, the municipally in Dieren decided to put an end to our use of our former workshop there, forcing Demotech to find a new home. Invited by a community of 'social squatters' living in a deserted grain factory in Maastricht, the Netherlands Demotech moved its research facility to this new location. Called 'Het Landbouwbelang', it is a huge factory building with ample space. Here Demotech reconstructed all her work, test and storage facilities.
The computer graphics below give an impression of our present workspace in Maastricht. We call it "The Lab"



Additional information




This 3D grafic shows a top view of out present labrorary space. The space in the top right corner is our studio and offfice, and also the space to have lunch and to talk things over.



This is again this studio. It has a lower part, that is used for hands-on design work. The higher platform is in use as office space and for smaller meetings. All out books and reports are stored here.



You enter our Lab by the strairs indicated in the lower part of the graphic. Turn left twice to go to the studio, go left to get something from our storage area. Next to the storage is the platform uses as meeting place by the Student Workforce.



Planned progress

  • Make Demotech mobile. Users, in most cases can not come to Demotech with their problems and potentials. Better make Demotech mobile with work units that can be easily transported or made at the spot.
  • Organize easy editing of the Demotech website from any computer, from any internet cafe.
  • Make work units for the following tasks: administration, metalworking, woodworking, work related to drawing and illustrations, making of exhibitions, storage of prototypes and archives. Make these sites easy to close and lock, easy to roll to an appropriate place, easy to trasnport in a car or trailer. Make these work units easy to construct in the first place.



  • Internal links

    How to get to the Demotech Lab by car

    Descripton how to get to the Demotech workshop by car from the North (Eindhoven, Antwerpen) or the South (Luik/Liege).

    How to get to the Demotech Lab by train

    A short walk through the city, cross the bridge over the river Maas, find 'Het Landbouwbelang' about one kilometer North next to the river.



    External Links

  • Send us an email form about any relevant link, that should be added here.


  • What other people say...

    If you like you can add your own comment

    by tallersolar@gmail.com - Mon Dec 06 (2004)
    ?como establecer contacto en espa?ol?
    He enviado un mensaje anterior, en ingles...traslate by babelfish y no encontre respuesta. Es posible hacer un contacto en espa?ol, me interesa conocer los experimentos y dise?o del winddrive. atentamente Jos? Luis Argagnon Silva

    by Reinder / Demotech - Mon Dec 06 (2004)
    Discussion in Spanish?
    Dear Spanish speaking people. Demotech is sorry, not to have Spanish speaking people in its team
    However we could look someone that could help with translations. Please try yourself to translate your text with the help of Babelfish. We have to find out if that works properly. Best greetings, Reinder ----------------------------- Gente de habla hispana querida. Demotech est? apesadumbrado, no tener gente de habla hispana en su equipo. Sin embargo podr?amos mirar a alguien que podr?a ayudar con traducciones. Int?ntese por favor para traducir su texto con la ayuda de Babelfish. Tenemos que descubrir si ese los trabajos correctamente. Los mejores saludos, Reinder
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    What name would YOU give to this devise?
    You can assist search machines to find this topic by sending Demotech an email form with one or more appropriate names for this device in your language. Such as: mobiele werkplaats, werkplek, atelier, kraakpand, kraakwacht, ....