Jun 18, 2015 | By Simon
Although he’s since sold off MakerBot to Minnesota-based 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys, the last thing that Bre Pettis has done is stop working; as a matter of fact, it’s been quite the opposite.
Between all of the event appearances and media interviews, Pettis has found time to focus on what he’s always done and what he does best: supplying creatives with the tools and resources they need to ‘create better’. Before MakerBot, this came in the form of a hackerspace and YouTube videos … now, it comes in the form of Pettis’ latest venture, Bold Machines.
Located on a quiet street in Brooklyn, NY just a stones throw from the MakerBot executive office, Bold Machines is a 3D printing incubation company that has been focusing on next-generation projects that involve additive manufacturing processes. To date, this has included everything from modular furniture and conceptual art pieces to even a film made with 3D printed figurines.
Although the Pettis-led Bold Machines has acted as an incubator for Stratasys and their products, it has since separated from the corporation but will continue to explore the unknown frontier of next-generation product manufacturing.
“I have built tools that empower other people to build products for the last decade, and I’m excited to jump over the fence and build products myself,” says Pettis. “With a strong passion for innovation and the future of product design, we will begin a new chapter with Bold Machines. We believe that by changing the way things are made, 3D printing will have incalculable impact on our lives and our future.”
More recently, one of the more unique projects to come out of the 3D printing incubator is by a fellow Brooklyn creative, Nanu Al-Hamad.
Born in Kuwait and raised in California before calling Brooklyn his home, Al-Hamad has been actively focusing his talents on a variety of product designs of all sizes ranging from personal accessories to furniture.
Al-Hamad, who collaborated with Bold Machines to investigate the range of material possibilities, just launched his latest piece, the “HANKY: Structured Pocket Square”. Through the collaboration, Al-Hamad used a Solidscape wax 3D printer to create a mold, which was then cast in sterling silver to produce a final, wearable design.
Although the design is a fashion accessory, Al-Hamad actually got his start in design after graduating with a degree in Architectural Acoustics and working for the architecture firm Atelier Aziz Alqatami in Kuwait. During this time, he exhibited a sculptural piece to a group artists show and caught the attention of a local collector who soon hired Al-Hamad to create an office design. From here, Al-Hamad’s interest in varying scales of design - from small accessories to large interiors - started to bloom.
The HANKY pocket square is just the latest in a line of design projects that the talented Al-Hamad has produced over the past few years.
Inspired by playing with different fabric materials and wanting to ‘freeze constant movement as a 3D printed object’, Al-Hamad hopes that the HANKY leaves an impression of perfectionism and patience even though the fold was created and frozen as a digital model. To add function and purpose to the square, a comb is embedded in the design for ensuring that hairstyles look top notch, too.
“Seeing this come alive in a completely different material and process was very beautiful,” said Al-Hamad in an interview with Bold Machines. “Casting the pocket square really gave the piece more substance and much more weight, literally and figuratively. I am always impressed by the notion of replication and the ability to do so.”
As for who he sees wearing the square, he adds:
“The ideal users of my products are those who wear them well. Whether it be the Metropolis chair or the plastic pocket square, appreciation is always appreciated.”
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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