A Pen is Just One Thing It Can Hold… The Shapeways ICFF Winner

You know when you’re holding a baby goat, and your thinkin’, I can hold that spoon and that bag of chips… and that chair… and that pile of cream cheese balls… and that armadillo dressed like a Spanish conquistador. Yeah, I can hold ALL THAT. Well, just imagine if a simple product which sat on your desk didn’t hold any of that. Excited? Well, now imagine it does hold a pen and… *sip o’ coffee* …PAPER!!

Diabolical, I know, but after two other judges and I poured through the entries for the Shapeways 2011 ICFF contest, we established one thing – Two out of three people like symmetrical multi-functionalism. The Pen holder/Paper tray piece by Dominik Raskin is just that and is hereby declared the winner. Check it…

Dominik’s idea will be printed and displayed at ICFF along with other famed pieces of Shapeways 3D printed brilliance. Dominik explained the idea behind his concept as follows.

The pen holder was design from the idea to create a minimal surface from which 2 functionalities could emerge, in this case the penholder and paper tray. Adjustments were made to the initial shape to reduce material and costs without jeopardizing stability. First the mesh was tessellated and only the ribs maintained, than the base of the object was made smaller. This all added up to become a dynamic and novel shape.

I’m actually the one that didn’t choose the pen holder/paper tray as first place (or second, or third.) What was my favorite for 1st place? It was, of course, the SLS Gaudi chair by Bram Geenen. As I put it when screaming my choice to a small kitten at the top of my lungs,

I’d be lying if I didn’t say I picked this because of my love for all things Gaudi, but it’s for that reason I know the thought and passion which went into the design of this chair. This design blends architecture and engineering into a contemporary furniture piece that reduces materials use and shows the strength 3D printing has over other manufacturing methods.

Dang right. Here’s an image of the chair…

and another from his site…

Truly a thing of beauty. If you’d like to see all the ICFF entries, you can view them (and order them) here on Shapeways.