*지속가능한 디자인 그리고 대나무 자전거

지속가능한 디자인은 환경을 생각하고
인간을 배려하는 디자인에서 출발한다.
대나무 자전거는 저소득층의 사람들에게 값싼 가격에
운송수단을 제공함으로써 최소한의 삶의 권리를 보장해주는 프로그램의
일환 중 하나로 시작되었다.
특히 주변에서 쉽게 구할 수 있으며 친환경적인 소재를 사용하여
경제적 부담감과 환경적 부담감에서 벗어 날 수 있도록 하였다.
특히 제품의 디자인은 나무가 가지고 있는 내츄럴한 매력과
오가닉한 형태를 잘 구현하여 일반적인 자전거보다
훨씬 매력적으로 보인다.
그동안 우리가 잊고 있었던 자연은 우리가 다시 지키고 보살펴야 한다.
이와 같은 측면에서 화석연료를 사용하지 않는 자전거는 친환경적인
운송수단으로 더 많이 사용되고 활용될 것이다.

reviewed by SJ

as his master's thesis project at the auckland university of technology paulus maringka has developed a series of bamboo bicycles under the name 'greencycle'. the project applies a system approach to shift design thinking and practices away from the ongoing unsustainable use of resources towards a more sustainable framework of consumption whereby local cultures, skills resources and technology are analyzed to inform the design and development of a human powered transportation system. here is a look at the three bicycle prototypes that maringka has thus developed: greencycle, greencycle-eco and the G2.

maringka's initial two year research study focused on looking at how to improve the bicycle manufacturing process so that it was cleaner and didn’t rely on unsustainable processes, together with exploring the use of renewable materials.
through the study process and time spent in understanding the culture of users specifically in indonesia, his focus shifted.it became apparent that most bicycle manufacturers only cater to the middle and luxury ends of the market instead of producing rangessuitable to and affordable for the people who need this form of transportation the most – the lower income bracket,whose livelihood depends on it to make ends meet. most target users cannot even afford to buy a bicycle and their needs have beenneglected for some time. therefore, maringka becane looking at ways of reducing manufacturing processes and costs while utilizing local resources and harnessing local craftsmen’s skills to produce a design outcome that would best suit target users and their needs, wants and ways of life.

---

to understand the creation of the 'greencycle', a participatory approach was applied in the design process that included a series of interviews of the target users, prototype testing and field experiments with sustainable resources, in order to propose, design and evaluate the system. to gather knowledge and experiences of a society all stakeholders were consulted; including farmers, artisans, bamboo experts, engineers and manufacturers to provide insights that has enabled this research to produce a cohesive socio-technical system in indonesia. the design process applies system design thinking, informed by cultural insights, to improve on this form of human powered transportation, taking into account the behaviour, belief and value relevance, functionality, the needs and wants of the users and the use of appropriate technologies and environmental considerations.

a laminating process was used to create the form for the bicycle frame as this is a relatively easy, economical and low technology process. two identical curved laminated bamboo pieces were placed in opposite directions and joined using simple steel brackets to produce a simple but yet very strong construction. this construction also allows for the seat and paddle bracket to be adjusted along the two curved frames to suit different users. rattan lashing was also used as a secondary binding to reinforce the laminated bamboo layers. the production and manufacturing of 'greencycle' was done in indonesia, using recycled parts.

high technology has the connotation of expensive costs and is normally associated with sophisticated products.
'greencycle-eco' explores the use of current technology to help reduce the production cost in order to make it affordable to farmers and the lower income demographic group in third world countries, while the strategic design thinking and model can be applied to any first world country to achieve greater sustainability. high technology was introduced to explore the possibility of simplifying the process.

pre-fabricated materials have been chosen for the 'greencycle-eco' design. bamboo panel products have been proven to be suitable for structural as well as non-structural applications in high grade building work. with the increasing demand for using greener and more highly renewable materials followed by recent technology developed in india and china, research studies and material testing has shown positive results for quality and mechanical strength. taking into consideration production costs, the design pattern of 'greencycle-eco' reduces the number of component parts to three different forms with two sets of identical parts being repeatedly cut out from a bamboo based panel product. each part is cut out using a CNC cutter; not only to get a consistent form and precision positioning of the screw holes, but to also maximize the material use and minimize material waste in the process. standard bamboo panel measuring
1200 x 2400mm can provide enough parts for eight bicycle frames which can be cut out in a short amount of time and reduce the production cost considerably. using a pre-fabricated bamboo panel product as the main material for 'greencycle-eco' offers a number of advantages including:
1. the product is made from a renewable material, abundantly grown and commonly available in asian countries
2. it has consistent quality
3. the whole bicycle can fit into a small flat-pack package making it economical to transport (reducing carbon footprint) if shipping is required.

the steel brackets are created from flat steel and used as a joining component so they will last and can be reused again while the bamboo parts can be easily and cheaply replaced when needed. to increase the bicycle’s functionality and load capability, the following changes have been made as part of the design features of the 'greencycle-eco':
1. frame length increased by 20% to allow for more surface area to carry loads without compromising the stability,
maneuverability and safety of the user
2. changing the shape of the downward angled seat stays of the traditional bicycle created an opportunity to provide not only a support for the rear seat but the point of attachment needed to give the target user freedom to develop or customize their bicycle and turn this humble people mover into a form of transportation which better suits their needs and wants without compromising its functionality as a form of transportation or operational safety.

from  designboom