FreeFormFab

FabYearBook 2010

The FabYearBook 2010 has been released. Download and print it yourself. The Instructable on how to put the first ever FabYearBook together can be found here.

The MIT FabLab House

So apparently, the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms is in the housing biz. Recently they sponsored the FabLab House, a futuristic-looking concept house designed for the Solar Decathalon Europe.

The FabLab House was designed as an ellipsoid structure prefabricated from wood that is formed into a rib-like structure. Although this specific house was designed for Madrid’s solar resource, it could easily be adapted to other climates by changing the ellipsoid. Built on top of three legs, the home has a space underneath to allow for air to circulate and help ventilate it naturally.

Smart systems help monitor and control the home’s temperature and energy use, while passive design increases efficiency and minimizes consumption. A customized photovoltaic skin coats the roof, which also acts to collect rainwater. When the home is built for the competition, it will also come with a garden capable of growing food.

Source and more:  Makezine

In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms Are the New Bits

The door of a dry-cleaner-size storefront in an industrial park in Wareham, Massachusetts, an hour south of Boston, might not look like a portal to the future of American manufacturing, but it is. This is the headquarters of Local Motors, the first open source car company to reach production. Step inside and the office reveals itself as a mind-blowing example of the power of micro-factories.

Mark Hatch (standing center) and Jim Newton (far left, glasses) of Tech Shop,
where members pay for access to sophisticated prototyping tools.
(Photo: Leon Chew)

Source and More: Wired Febr 2010