We always knew that 2013 would be an exciting year for D2W with the prospect of moving to our new premises at Rochester Place. The move has indeed been the physical highlight for us, however we could never have anticipated all of the other incredibly stimulating events and projects that took place during the year.
These happenings are too numerous to relate in great detail, so in the spirit of this time of year, here follows a potted timeline of highlights that made 2013 such a landmark year for us.
January
- Work starts on the conversion of our new premises
- Print the incredible “MorphoLogic” assemblage for Chien-Shuo Pai and her team from the AA’s DRL
- Product designer Tom Mallinson joins the D2W team
February
- The first Kickstarter project in which we were involved obtains funding, so Projecteo hits the world
- We help to produce the casing of the Buffalo Unit for Buffalo Grid. A device to bring mobile phone charging to remote parts of Africa
- 3D production manager Marc Vinall joins the D2W team
March
- Catherine Wales launches her Project DNA fashion collection to international acclaim
- Print “Life in the Darkness” range of jewellery for Maria Sokolyanskaya
April
- We launch the D2W Nylon Container System. A unique Nylon SLS pricing system that utilizes the full capability of the 3D printer to make prints cheaper and easily budgetable for customers, while simultaneously making life easier for us.
- Some work produced by us reaches the Milan Design Salon
- D2W are featured in The Guardian
May
- The filament hits the fan regarding 3d printed guns and we debate the project with it’s creator Cody Wilson on the BBC World Service
- D2W subsequently issue a warning to those tempted to download and experiment with the notorious gun files
- D2W take part in the London College of Fashion’s inaugural international conference on Digital Fashion
June
- D2W assist in the production of the maquette for Marcus Coates’ sculpture shortlisted for the 2014/2015 4th plinth in London’s Trafalgar Square
- Mammoth removals from Wimpole Street to Rochester Place commence
- Work with Goldie to produce a master for the bronze casting for a sculpture as part of his Lost Tribes exhibition.
July
- D2W move in to Rochester Place
- Latest EOS P110 Nylon SLS printer arrives at Rochester Place
- Some of our own objects and other projects on which we collaborated are included in the Design Museum exhibition “The Future Is Here”
August
- In collaboration with St. H, D2W release news of the development of the foldable, bendable bird house that reveals the remarkable material properties of Nylon SLS
- D2W feature in a rather confusing episode of the BBC’s Click!
- D2W launch “Design Us Something Wonderful”, a competition with the prize of having your design printed and displayed as part of the London Design Festival exhibition
September
- D2W take part in the London Design Festival
- D2W prints a copy of the Liberator for the Victoria and Albert Museum as they come up against firearm export regulations and are unable to receive the real thing in time for the London Design Festival
- D2W take part in the “Pause/Play – Taking Time in Digital Manufacturing” Super Talk at Tent
October
- D2W print beautiful data of the moon obtained from NASA by Oscar Lhermitte
- D2W print the amazing “Explosion” piece for the RSA (title image)
- D2W are invited to join the Design and Digital Revolution discussion group run by the Design Commission
November
- D2W take part in the London 3D Printshow at the Business Design Centre in Islington
- Our founder, Andrew Dawood, wins the “Inspirational Individual” at the inaugural 3D Printshow awards
- D2W produce animation stop motion figures for Blink Ink
December
- Our 3D printed cone lights are selected by New Scientist as one of the best science gifts this Christmas
- D2W are invited by the regional government of Shenzhen to bring their London Design Festival exhibition to the China International Industrial Design Fair
These are just some of the highlights of an incredible 2013 for us.
There were a multitude of other projects that may have received less attention but were also an incredible joy to be a part of.
The beauty of working with this technology is the incredible diversity of applications that individuals are applying it to. This means that we are learning about new properties and potential uses every day, which we can then apply to other client ideas. It’s a privilege to work alongside all of our clients, no matter how large or small their project, to understand their ideas and help to make them a reality.
An enormous THANK YOU to everyone who was part of the journey that was 2013 and wish you all a wonderful 2014, where we eagerly await the further wonders that you will bring us!