Student Work

After lots of ideation and brainstorming, I have decided to create an interior design and functional piece for my final project. I found that I don’t have much decor that is also functional at the same time. I would like to make an abstract mirror that serves as a piece of decor but also a…

Moving away from the whimsy and fantasy filled nature of my upcycling project, I decided to take inspiration not from my heart but my head this time around. I decided to draw upon my heritage as a Greek first generation immigrant. I grew up in both America and Greece, exposing me to generations past and…

Drawing Inspiration from Kyle’s Kinetics: Crafting My Own Kinetic Sculpture Nick Olguin Kyle Auga owner of Kyle’s Kinetics In the realm of kinetic sculpture, where metal meets motion, lies a world of endless creativity and boundless inspiration. As an avid admirer of Kyle Auga’s mesmerizing balancing sculptures, I find myself captivated by the fluidity and…

For my main project I plan on building an xbox controller steering wheel adapter. I got the idea last semester when I was playing a modded version of GTA that allowed you to adjust settings and drift cars. The game was fun, but I thought I could make it feel more like a drifting simulator…

I know, I know what you’re probably thinking: This guy is doing a van build and getting school credit; really creative. But! Let me tell you, this is not going to be like other van builds; this bed/couch will be unique, innovative, aesthetically strong, and one of a kind! Read on, and I guarantee by…

I am drawn to Brutalist design for its distinctive and unapologetic expression of raw materials and bold, practical forms. Starting in the mid-20th century, Brutalism began as a reaction to the modernist ideals of the time, emphasizing honesty in construction and functionality [1]. The movement is characterized by the prominent use of exposed concrete, steel,…

To recap: for my project I wanted to build a model embodying the steampunk aesthetic, specifically drawing from the works of Japanese animator/filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Steampunk media in general is characterized by a retrofuturistic design philosophy that draws primarily from the Victorian era of steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works often incorporate elements of science fiction and…

  My Upcyle project goal was to create a sign from aluminum cans, inspired by the Googie architectural style during the Atomic age. The main aspects I chose to focus on were themes of space, and the “starburst” design feature. Googie is a term that I had not encountered before this project. It refers to…

Throughout the design and manufacturing process of my upcycle project, I was inspired by the Scandinavian aesthetic. I have always enjoyed the minimalist style and the use of natural materials that are often found in Scandinavian designs. Despite knowing that I wanted to emulate the Scandinavian style, I was unsure of what object to create.…

Inspiration Around the time when the upcycling project was being introduced, my brother was spring cleaning his closet. This usually means a bunch of hand-me-downs for me, especially shirts, shorts, sweatpants, and jackets that can be worn oversized. However, one item that almost never fits are jeans. I do not have much experience sewing, so…

MY VISION For my upcycle project I want to take an old pair of jeans that I do not wear anymore and use various fabrics to create a patchwork style article of clothing. I have a little prior knowledge with sewing and using a sewing machine and I also want to incorporate other fabrication techniques…

Hip-hop originated in 1970s New York (although it’s highly debated by neighborhoods (Queens, Brooklyn) that were the originators). Even so, the culture began to rise among youths of the time from all neighborhoods. B-boying (break-dancing), jamming to local disc jockeys. The music carried across from coast to coast, inviting creative people with something to say.…

I have a bookshelf in my room next to my desk that is in no way aesthetically appealing, however it is functional. When deliberating for my upcycling project, it hit me that I might improve upon the design. To do this, I wanted to change the typical form of bookshelves and I needed some inspiration.…

My picture frame upcycle project is based on the mid century modern aesthetic. The reason I chose this aesthetic was to explore a new style that I am unfamiliar with, and more importantly, one that I enjoy. I found this style looking through Charlotte and Peter Fiell’s book 1000 Chairs. While skimming through all the…

For this project, I decided to go with a realism aesthetic. The realism aesthetic originates from 19th century France. Realism as defined by Britannica is “the accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of nature or of contemporary life.” To achieve this, I wanted to include pieces in my diorama that you would likely see in a real-world setting.…

For this upcycling project, I planned to use a large sheet of scrap paper, scrap wood, and components from an unused lamp to make a functioning mid-century modern lamp with origami elements in the form of a lampshade/light diffuser. I was drawn to the mid-century movement as I thought that the aesthetic would go nicely…

Overview Trumpet Lamp made by Abigail Angwin   I successfully designed and fabricated a trumpet lamp! I am excited that I like what I made since I was slow to think of a design path that seemed interesting to keep, fun to make and simple enough that it could be fabricated in campus in the…

Background to the Yassification For my upcycling project, I took a cantaloupe and carved a floral design into the surface. The floral aesthetic has been around longer than humans! We put floral patterns in just about any item, ranging from clothing to handbags to bathroom tiles, and even to fruits. My project is based an…

Figure 1 – Alternating Waves For my UpCycling project I created Alternating Waves. Alternating Waves is a metallic wall sculpture designed with a minimalist aesthetic. With my artifact I wanted to evoke a calming rhythmic feeling utilizing repeated waves. My intended emotion pairs well with minimalism as to meet the calming nature of the piece I…

Pencil holder by Alan IV – https://in.pinterest.com/pin/1001769510848484571/ Pencil holder by Иван Прищепа – https://www.pinterest.com/016bkwm1r24nzs3/ Pencil holder by MG3 – https://www.instructables.com/Simple-Industrial-Pencil-Holder/ For my Upcycling project I chose to make a brutalist pencil holder. I was originally going to go with a steampunk aesthetic and while looking for some inspiration I saw this project by Allan IV…

The Maximalist Victorian style can be best represented by this photo below. An illustration that depicts a man in a toy-shop in the middle of making another of his works. Next to the toy-maker there are numerous representations of other creations they have made, ships, trains, stuffed-animals, jack-in-a-box etc. All of which were in inspiration…

Inspiration: When deciding what I wanted to make, I mainly focused on what materials were easily accessible to me, and since we live in Colorado, I decided to go with something outdoors. For these reasons I chose to use a tree branch as my material. This lead to me deciding to make something out of…

The GEEN 1400 Special This piece uses e waste to create cool looking patterns which highlights the industrialism and cubism aesthetics. The Aesthetic Art pieces like Steven Rodria’s Piña Data initially inspired me. I had a lot of extra PCBs from an older project at home and I put the two together and wanted to…

Humanity has created more artifacts than we could ever find uses for and many of these artifacts have become forgotten and left to collect dust and take up space. As we start to understand how to live in this post-industrial boom of a world we have to start to get creative with these old artifacts…

Initial Thoughts I began my journey with this project, deciding what I wanted to get out of it.  With the project’s specifications to make an upcycled artifact that conforms to a specific aesthetic, it was for the most part as open-ended as we wanted it to be.  I had a few ideas of where to take…

Post 5: Rustic Wall Art – Hailey Usher Initial Inspiration Before starting out this project, I first considered what materials I had available to me to upcycle.  In doing so, I came across some wood in the BTU’s scrap material section, and thought that I could use the wood scraps and the laser cutter at…

Pioneer Primitive Newton’s Cradle Scroll to end of presentation for a video!! Finished Product, Me Vision: For this project, I wanted to make a design with some sort of utility or that could be interacted with. At the very least, I wanted the design to be able to stand on its own and stay together.…

Paper Mache Head (Inspired by Duane Flatmo) The inspiration for my upcycle idea came from an aesthetic that I experienced about 10 years ago, but have never forgotten about. From 2010 to 2014, I lived in Arcata, CA while studying at Cal Poly Humboldt (which at the time was Humboldt State University). Arcata is in…

For my upcycle project, I attempted to create a purely decorative toaster structure in the aesthetic of steampunk. Steampunk combines rustic metal elements with 19th century industrial technology elements. This aesthetic is usually for decorative purposes only with little to no functional value to them. https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/Bp39AqVc0eaGJ9FIDAgE When creating my initial designs, I knew that I…

I knew that I would want my upcycle project to be something that provides enjoyment for me and the people I care about. I wanted it to be something I would use, be proud of, and potentially even gift to someone. I began my search by looking around the house for seemingly useless items. I…

Background About 4 years ago, I built a base for my patio from Trex® composite wood. I built this because the concrete floor was very hard to clean with all the dust that accumulated there over time and it was not aesthetically pleasing. Since installing the new decking, the Patio is much nicer to walk…

Levitating Steampunk Globe: An Artistic Confluence of Past and Future Introduction This report unveils the journey of crafting a unique upcycled art piece: a levitating globe with steampunk influences. It represents an amalgamation of vintage aesthetics and modern technology, illustrating a creative fusion of different eras. Project Concept The objective is to upcycle an old…

Context Information: Scandinavian design is a design aesthetic that started in the mid-20th century in the Nordic countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland [1]. It is characterized by its emphasis on simplicity, functionality, and a connection with nature. Scandinavian design reflects a minimalist yet warm and welcoming approach. Clean lines, uncluttered spaces, and…

For my upcycling project, I decided to create an iPad holder for my desk that fits into the Skateshop Aesthetic. When I lived on the East Coast my local skateshop was Switch Skate and Snow which was located in Newark, Delaware. This shop, which is shown in the images below, is the main inspiration for…

As of this week I have not made much progress. A large set back is materials collection. I was hoping to get a good amount of hardware for this project from my IT job, but we haven’t discarded much. A lot of the things we discard on a daily basis doesn’t work for my project…

What I found to be the opposite of a fantasy or otherworldly aesthetic to the project I am doing is a street fashion aesthetic. To me, something that is grounded in reality is something that is the exact opposite of a fantasy aesthetic is one that is rooted in reality, and in this case, it…

My aesthetic for the upcycling project is workwear. The workwear aesthetic is defined by functional, rugged items, both clothing and accessories, that were originally designed for people such as carpenters, fishermen and construction workers. These items are designed to be used every day and to withstand the type of abuse that comes with many of…

My upcycle aesthetic is minimalism combined with an organic shape, but I thought that the best comparison to the opposite to my upcycle would be to focus on the minimalist portion of that aesthetic. The first example of this that I found was that from the Baroque period and specifically Baroque architecture. The first example…

I have made good progress on my trumpet lamp, however I have not chosen a lamp shade which I think will be an important deciding factor in the lamp aesthetic. I plan to see what I can thrift tomorrow and if no appealing lamp shades are found I will find one that hasn’t been previously…

Refresher: The current aesthetic of my project is patchwork, utilizing a chessboard-like design in order to create a hangboard for rock climbing. This involves slightly differently colored wooden pieces arranged in a patchwork like formation. The Opposite: There are many aesthetics which could be argued to be the opposite of patchwork, although, minimalism is the…

The aesthetic that I chose for my upscaling project was an industrial aesthetic. While there are many options to choose from for an opposite aesthetic from industrial I think that the most fitting one would be a natural or organic aesthetic. While the industrial aesthetic focuses on a utilitarian and mechanical feel, using exposed materials…

After working with the industrial modernist aesthetic for the past few weeks, I have found a clear opposite to this aesthetic. After working with exposed piping, sharp edges, and dark colors I was able to determine that the opposite of my aesthetic has qualities like warmth, colors, and hidden materials. On paper, this sounds like…

My upcycling project is a Shoe rack made out of used skateboard decks with a “Skatepark Graffiti” aesthetic. Fundamentally, I think this aesthetic is both postmodern and maximalist. The graffiti and skateboard elements of the shoe rack are loud and unnecessary, and have no actual function besides looking visually interesting. Graffiti and skateboards are also…

https://www.elledecor.com/life-culture/travel/g12242834/art-deco-architecture/ Art Deco and Brutalism: Two architectural giants, stand as a stark opposites in design. Picture the elegance of Art Deco, with its intricate details and luxurious materials, juxtaposed against the raw functionality of Brutalism, characterized by its stark concrete forms and utilitarian approach. These two movements, born in different eras are shaped by distinct…

Just to recap the topic of my project, for my upcycling artifact I am making a small model of a 1970s era computer terminal. I am reusing some old keyboard switches, glass panes, and laser cut wood scraps to create the body of the computer. I will also use some LEDs to backlight the “display”,…

For context, I will be creatintg a rustic picture frame which holds a CU Boulder Buffalo logo for my upcycle project. The materials I will be uisng for this project are cardboard, paper, and glue.               Above is the CU Boulder Logo [1] (left) which I will be recreating…

The upcycle project aesthetic I am going for is 1920s speakeasy. It can be identified by attaining a specific mystic through a use of dark shades and low lighting. I suppose that the opposite of the speakeasy aesthetic would be something that is very “in your face” with vibrant colors and lights. I believe that…

Sketch of wall sculpture I am planning on creating a metallic wall sculpture using aluminum cans as my primary source of material. I plan to build something similar to the sketch shown above. The simple material and lack of ornate details gives the artifact a barebones minimalist aesthetic. The opposite aesthetic to my minimalist artifact…

Upcycling Project Aesthetic and Its Opposite Aesthetic My upcycling project will have a floral aesthetic, in which I will carve out a melon into a floral pattern. Although there is no clear opposite of the floral aesthetic, I believe that gothic does a good job of contrasting the floral aesthetic. The floral aesthetic is composed…

INTRODUCTION The Cottagecore aesthetic and the Gothic/Dark Academia aesthetic are two very different principles and philosophies of art. Cottagecore focuses on simplicity and nature in the countryside. I will provide a summary of Cottagecore by restating a blurb from my first blog post on aesthetic exploration: “Cottagecore aesthetic encapsulates the essence of simple living, countryside…

So far in this project, I have collected all of my materials and begun the crafting process, however I have already recognized how I would improve my procedure. I have glued up the 2×6 8ft wood boards into two large blanks. The backing for the shelf, that will include the inlays for the mirrors, was…

Idea Summary My upcycling project idea is to make a Newton’s Cradle with the aesthetic of ‘Pioneer Primitive’. This aesthetic is similar to a ‘Wild West’ aesthetic, but with a heavier emphasis on unfinished, raw, organic materials. Additionally, it follows what some may be familiar with as ‘mountain man’ construction. This includes the use of…

This year’s third post. Students were asked “What progress have you made on your Upcycle project? Show your plans. What does your fabrication schedule look like? What materials have you collected?” Project Refresh From my last posts, I am continuing with the idea of a patchwork hangboard. I am designing the hangboard as training device…

My upcycling project will consist of carving a cantaloupe into a floral design, like the pictures seen below. I have conducted research on what tools and materials I will need for my project. I will need an assortment of small knives and spoons, which I currently own. Additionally, I will buy a cantaloupe from King…