Revolving bookcase/room divider

The UnWaste Bookcase was jointly created by Ben Milbourne, Leyla Acaroglu and David Waterworth to act as a loft apartment room-divider that could be opened and spun completely around, depending on the needs of the residents. It's a very clever solution:

A split-level open plan warehouse conversion in Melbourne’s CBD needed a flexible solution to divide the open space into 2 rooms, while retaining the option of keeping the larger combined space when needed; an answer that would allow for light and airflow throughout the spaces but also a division between living and sleeping areas. The James Bond inspired solution involves a 4.6 metre high by 3.8m wide rotating library allowing books to be stored and accessed from either side and maximising air-flow and light when needed by simply pushing on the corner to allow for full 360 degree rotation.
Producing the least environmental impact possible was paramount with this project. Conventional ‘virgin’ MDF, Timber or Melamine all came with unacceptable environmental impacts, leading to an impasse that threatened to derail the project. The solution came via the collaboration with David Waterworth who specialises in reclaimed and recycled materials in his designs. Reclaimed plywood from construction site hoardings (the temporary barriers at the edge of construction sites) were sourced and the material’s unique characteristics of posters, weathering, graffiti and mismatched paints was incorporated into the design. The ply was sealed with natural beeswax, and with the construction processes minimising off-cut waste, 30 sheets of plywood were saved from landfill for this project further limiting its environmental impact.

UnWaste Bookcase (via Bookshelf)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

MORE: australia • design • Environment • Gadgets • housewares • makers

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

EH

I’m not seeing the “larger combined space” here.
- Boris Bartlog
  
  Yeah…. it’s very *cool* but in fact the need to keep the swept volume free of impediments means you’ve actually used up even more space. I’d still want one, though!
  - EH
    
    That, and apparently the bottom half doesn’t move.
http://disqus.com/Kimmoth/ Kimmo

This is pretty damn cool.

Some sort of damping mechanism to ensure the books can’t be sent flying would be nifty…
- http://twitter.com/matthjones Matt Jones
  
  The 9 year old me wants to see how fast I can get them to spin. So does the 21 year old me in fact.
Roose_Bolton

SUPER cool.
planettom

“Put.. ze candle.. back!”
- smirkuleez
  
  Well played.
SoItBegins

SECRET PASSAGE!
Traska

planettom:

Came here for this, leaving satisfied.
chgoliz

“maximising air-flow and light when needed by simply pushing on the corner to allow for full 360 degree rotation”

Now THAT’S a whole-house fan.
allybeag

I’m only 5′-3″. I’d never be able to reach those books on the top sections. Would I have to employ a literate monkey to climb up and get them for me?
- Laurie Young
  
  A literate monkey is good for so many things . . .
  - smirkuleez
    
    Ahem. I am a literate monkey, as it happens…
http://www.ikaink.net Itsumishi

If I know Melbourne hipsters “Reclaimed plywood from construction site hoardings (the temporary barriers at the edge of construction sites) were sourced and the material’s unique characteristics of posters, weathering, graffiti and mismatched paints was incorporated into the design” translates to: “wood was nicked from a nearby construction site and used to make the place look trendier”. Their apartment needs more milk crates to complete the look.
http://dbcooper.livejournal.com P.F. Bruns

I look at this and I think Vanna White.