This week’s project comes from Andres. It’s one of those “outside the box” concepts that really makes you stop and take notice. I think he succeeded in redefining the traditional bookcase. Let’s check it out:
I’ve been following your video podcasts rather closely for quite some time. My girlfriend has been insisting that I write to you for some time too. My name is Andrés and I live in Argentina (if in doubt, type the following coordinates into Googe Earth: S 34°32´23″, W58°30´08″ and you´ll fly straight to my street) Don´t you just love technology?. I´ve been carving wood for the last 6 years, but I don´t dare call myself a carver. I´ve ventured into carpentry 3 years ago. Nowadays, my projects are a combination of both disciplines. Having learned AutoCAD (pre-Sketchup era) has had a profound impact in my projects.
I thought I´d give it a try and send you pictures of an old project of mine. It’s called “WM” and it´s a bookcase. I think that what´s cool about this project is not the craftsmanship behind it (since it´s butt-joint plywood with a paint finish), but the design and the concept behind it. I am an avid reader and when I moved into my new house, I needed a cool looking bookcase to house my books. I started looking around for inspiration when I realized that 99% of all bookcases IN THE WORLD hold their books in an upright position with horizontal shelves. So I set out to destroy the norm. After 4 or 5 different approaches, I came up with this design that resembles the letter M behind a letter W. To give it more of a perception of depth, I brought the “W” forward, offsetting it from the wall some 5 inches (I use the metric system). Thanks to working with CAD, assembling the cut list was only a matter of seconds after I finished drawing it. The task would have probably taken days with any old school method. The only tools involved were a circular saw and a cordless drill. Pretty effortless to be honest. The only other thing I really had to sleep on, was choosing the colors. The whole thing probably took me 3 full days.
Hope you find it inspiring. Keep up the good work, and thanks for taking the time to input your craft into the cyberspace. Saludos desde Argentina, Andrés
9 Responses to “Not Your Traditional Bookcase – Viewer Project”
Good job Andrés. Nice design. Argentinian design to be in the vanguard!!! Ahora bien, tengo mis dudas sobre la funcionalidad de la biblioteca. ¿Salen bien los libros? Tal vez un ángulo menor a 45º, sacrificando un poco de diseño y espacio, hubiese sido más práctico. Como sea, tiene toda la onda. Saludos desde Entre RÃÂos, Argentina (Greetings from Entre RÃÂos, Argentina).
Wow, That’s cool. Good job.
Very cool design. I was immediately thinking what this would look like in two contrasting woods.
Adres,
Fantastic concept! Not being very good (read useless) with design program’s just looking at the pic’s is making my brain hurt. I wonder how many sheets of paper I’d go thru (seeing as Marc is American, I decided to go with the American spelling for THROUGH) ;)
It is somehow fitting that you have a copy of Vertigo sitting on your shelf:)
Thanks to the kind words of those who replied. I want to get back to my fellow countryman Martin, who is worried about functionality given the steep angle of the shelves. If you don´t mind, I´ll do it in Spanish:
Hola MartÃÂn. La funcionalidad se ve un poco disminuÃÂda, pero es un sacrificio… o mejor dicho un compromiso que hice. En el dÃÂa a dÃÂa, la biblioteca garpa. Si la tuviera que diseñar de nuevo, la harÃÂa igual. Sin duda los estantes horizontales te dan mejor acceso a los libros, pero me dolerÃÂa más sacrificar la visual por el confort, que viceversa. “No se puede hacer una tortilla sin romper algunos huevos.” Si querés seguir esto mas privadamente, te dejo mi mail, que es mi nombre y apellido sin espacio, arroba gmail. Un abrazo,
Andrés
Keith D says:
May 22, 2009 at 1:45 pm
It is somehow fitting that you have a copy of Vertigo sitting on your shelf:)
Hey Keith I was thinking the same thing. This is really a thinking out of the box design. The last pic loaded with books really made me dizzy though. Err dizzier..
Nice job Andres!
Great project
Congrats and go ahead with new designs !
Interesting and unusual.
I live in Arlington , Virginia and am looking for someone to build
single bookshelf up close to the ceiling that would wrap around
three walls.
Any one know who might be up for this project?
Please contact me at 571 214 8820
Thank you