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Sep 8, 2003 - Eighteen final year students at London's Royal College of Art postgraduate Vehicle Design course displayed their work in the second part of the internationally renowned annual summer show.
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The Show: Two featured the work of students in Vehicle Design, Design Products, Industrial Design Engineering, Architecture and Interiors, Computer Related Design, Textiles, Animation, Communication Art and Design, Conservation and History of Design.
The design concepts exhibited by the 18 graduating Vehicle Design students explored a wide range of themes for future mobility, from a plastic car exploring new materials technology to create a new aesthetic, to a moving walkway to aid city mobility.
'P-Buthan' by Danny Ram is a plastic car exploring new materials technology to create a new aesthetic and functionality for a sports coupe. Badged as a Fiat, it extends on themes introduced on the Ecobasic concept, and 'celebrates' plastic throughout it's aesthetics and construction, with a unique form language that could only be plastic, with components such as taillamps using a 'snap-fit' theme. Named for its thermo-chromatic polybuthalene material, the surface of the sports coupe reacts to it's surroundings in a similar way to a chameleon. The upper surfaces react to the changing tones of the sky, and if parked under a tree, the surface 'remembers' and continues to show the shadows cast upon it for several minutes. At high speed, the rear parts of the cars surface change color to red.
Viktor Holmqvist presented a fuel-cell powered Saab sports coupe, following the makers principles of designing around the driver. The vehicle combines a softly shaped, glossy front end that conforms to future safety regulations, with a more mechanical, matte finished bodyside and exposed metal frame elements. Windows in the lower part of the doors help keep the driver in touch with the surroundings.
Chloe Edwards set out to design a sports car for everyday use by integrating industrial design innovation into the vehicle design process. The combination of approaches has enabled the design to be honest both in terms of functionality and of emotive aspects that determine the sports car experience. The vehicle concept is lightweight and adaptable, with removable body panels and variable power capabilities for driving enjoyment in all situations. A layered structure of several moulded pieces forms the fllor, interior tunnel and seats, which are fixed, and set at sill height for easy entry. The large rear hatch folds down to reveal slide-out storage modules.
In a recent lecture at the RCA, Ford Motor Company design chief J Mays talked about the difficulty in defining market segments and designing vehicles that match the needs of todays diverse buyer groups. Matthew Swann's design concept 'Unlike Twins' looks at this problem, proposing two separate four-seater vehicles based on a single platform, one for more extrovert, outgoing customers, and one for more introverted customers. Like twins, the vehicles develop until a certain point at which they split and take on their own characteristics. The scale model shows two distinct designs, the 'extrovert' revealing more of the interior, 'framing' the driver with carefully placed window openings, more vibrant colors, more emphasis on vertical elements and light catching surfaces to make the vehicle stand out. By contrast the 'introvert' design is more subtle and discreet, with softer and cleaner surfaces, and less confrontational.
'Living on Wheels' by Jean-Arthur Madelaine-Advenier is a rebirth of the sleeping cars that emerged in the United States in the late 1920s. The project shows a new approach to the camper van, by combining sportiness and versatility. Rejecting the regular layout of a camper van, this expandable camper allows for new ways of caravanning. For example, the cooking space is on the bonnet, while the roof expands to create enough room for a comfortable double bed.
Leonard Natterer drew inspiration from ceramics in developing the unique form language of his sports estate. "I generated several porcelain sculptures - amorphous, like stones on a beach" explained Leonard, "then I explored them, using brutal cuts, to generate direction describng volume. The next step was to transfer the language of layers and surfaces into an automotive context, exploring the connection between the material and the projects ultimate shape.
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