Octave de Gaulle's portfolio includes projects from his time at ENSCI focusing on natural and sustainable materials for kitchen design. His second semester project at ENSCI was a chair called "Left" made of plywood and steel tubing to question comfort and posture. His third semester brand analysis project repositioned the Bialetti brand to better reflect Italian culture and values. His fourth semester robotics project explored possibilities for a new domestic robot. His fifth semester at Polimi included leading a trend analysis presentation and working on a project to connect the Iranian community in Milan with their homeland.
3. THE FIRST PROJECT I WORKED ON, ARRIVING AT ENSCI WAS A PROSPECTIVE REASERCH ON THE MATERIALS OF MODERN KITCHEN.
THIS GROUP WORKSHOP WAS ORGANISED BY THE VIA, SUPPORTED BY HARDY, A FRENCH KITCHEN FURNITURE COMPANY, AND
DIRECTED BY JF DINGJIAN .
4. AFTER A DEEP RESEARCH ON KITCHEN HISTORY, WE DECIDED TO WORK ON NATURAL MATERIALS. BETWEEN HOT, COLD AND LIGHT
PRODUCTIONS, THE KITCHEN IS A GREAT ENERGY CONSUMMER. ALSO, THE MATERIALS USED IN OUR KITCHENS MAKE THEM OFTEN
LOOK MORE LIKE A COLD AND ASEPTISED LABORATORY THAN A LIVING SPACE.
HOWEVER, IF WE TAKE A LOOK AT NATURAL MATERIALS PROPERTIES, WE CAN PRESERVE, ISOLATE AND COLD.
THUS, HOW CAN WE USE THIS MATERIALS TO SAVE ENERGY, AND MAKE OUR KITCHENS LOOK MORE CLOSE FROM THE NATURAL
ELEMENTS THAN A LABORATORY.
5. THE ELEMENTARY KITCHEN USE FIVE NATURAL MATERIALS, ARRANGED FOR THEIR CAPACITIES OR ERGONOMIC PROPERTIES.
THE WORKPLAN IS IN MOULDED FLAX FIBER, USED FOR ITS FLEXIBILITY, LIGHTNESS AND STRENGH. IT GIVES A NATURAL AND
WARMER LOOK TO THE KITCHEN, AND ALLOWS A LOT OF FORMAL POSSIBILITIES.
A RUBBER SINK AND A BAMBOO CUTPLAN COME IN THIS PLAN, SPECIALY MOULDED TO RECEIVE THEM WITH ERGONOMY.
6. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, THE COOKING TABLE, IS MADE OF THREE MATERIALS SPECIALY USED FOR THEIR HEATING OR
PRESERVING ABILITIES. THE TERRA COTTA COOKING PLAN PRESERVE THE HEAT AND DRAG IT THROUGH ENAMEL TO A
« LOW HEAT ZONE ». THIS ZONE, COVERED BY A DOUBLE-WALLED GLASS BELL KEEPS THE HEAT WITHOUT USING ANY ENERGY, AND
OFFER THE USER TO DEFROST OR KEEP MEALS AT THE RIGHT TEMPÉRATURE BEFORE SERVING.
FINALLY, A SLATE SURFACE IN FRONT OF THE COOKING PLAN CONSTITUTE A SERVICE PLAN, ON WHICH YOU CAN DROP HOT PLATES
AND PANS, OR SIMPLY PREPARE THE DISHES BEFORE SERVING.
8. REALISED DURING MY SECOND SEMESTER IN FRANCOIS AZAMBOURG'S STUDIO, "LEFT" QUESTIONS COMFORT AND POSTURE,
FOCUSING ON THE SIMPLICITY OF THE MATERIALS AND THEIR SHAPING. DRAWING CURVED AND ASYMMETRICAL LINES, THIS CHAIR
REVISITS THE "STEEL TUBE" TYPE, INVITING THE USER TO SIT IN A NATURAL POSITION, SLIGHTLY TO THE SIDE.
9. THE FIRST STEPS WERE 1:5 MODELS. STARTING WITH TRADITIONAL CHAIR FORMS, I BEGAN TO TWIST THEM, IN ORDER TO FIND A
SIMPLE, GRAPHIC AND COMFORTABLE LINE. THE PURPOSE WAS TO DEVELOP A FAMILY OF THREE CHAIRS WITH THIS LINE.
THE MATERIALS I USED FOR THE PROTOTYPE WERE SIMPLY THE SAME I USED FOR THE MODELS. THESE MODELS BECAME MORE AND
MORE PRECISE 'TIL I FOUND THE FINAL SHAPE.
10. DURING THE LAST WEEKS OF THE PROJECT, I REALISED A PROTOTYPE WITH PLYWOOD AND STEEL TUBING. IT WAS REALLY
IMPORTANT TO BUILD THE CHAIR, IN ORDER TO CHECK THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY GOOD TO SIT ON IT ! BESIDES, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME
I WORKED WITH METAL AND SO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE BASICS OF THIS MATERIAL.
THIS 1:1 MODEL IS NOW A SOLID AND COMFORTABLE PROTOTYPE, ON WHICH YOU CAN SIT.
13. THIS THIRD PROJECT, MADE IN BERNARD MOISE’S STUDIO WAS AN BRAND ANALYSIS. THROUGH THIS, AND THE EXERCISE OF
REPOSITIONNING, I DEFINED A NEW IMAGE OF THE BRAND BIALETTI, INSPIRED BY ITS VALUES AND MODERNISED WITH NEW
CRITERIA I IMAGINED. I WANTED THE BRAND TO BE A STRONG REFLECTION OF ITALY.
THE NATURE OF « ITALIANNESS » AS I DEFINED IT WAS A SUCCESSION OF TEMPERS LIKE IRONY, ICONOCLASM, THEATRICALNESS OR
SHOWING-OFF BUT IS ABOVE ALL A SPONTANEOUS JUXTAPOSITION OF THIS CRITERIA.
18. THE THIRD PART OF THE WORKSHOP WAS TO DESIGN AN ADVERTISING FOR THESE PRODUCTS. IN THIS CASE, I WANTED TO EXPRESS
THIS CULTURE MIXING THROUGH CLICHÉS AND FUNNY ASSEMBLING OF ICONS.
20. THIS FOURTH PROJECT EXPLORES POSSIBILITIES FOR A NEW KIND OF DOMESTIC ROBOT. LAUNCHED BY ALDEBARAN AND DIRECTED
BY JEAN LOUIS FRECHIN, THIS PROJECT WAS FOR ME A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND A FIRST
EXPERIENCE OF DIGITAL DESIGN. MOROVER, THIS PROJECT WAS ABOUT INGAMES AND SOLUTIONS FOR A TECHNOLOGICAL FUTURE
IN THE HABITAT.
21. THIS ROBOT HAD TO BE FRENCH IN CARACTER. IN ORDER TO TRANSMIT THIS IDEA, A GROUP RESEARCH WAS HELD FOR THE TWO
FIRST MONTHS, TO TRACK LEADS OF FRENCHNESS AND IMPROVE THE KNOWLEDGE WE HAD -OR NOT- ABOUT ROBOTICS.
FIRST OF IT’S KIND, ITS ALSO A ROBOT THAT HAD TO BE BUILT AROUND A SPINE ALLOWING HIM TO ARTICULATE HIS ENTIRE BODY
AROUND A CENTRAL AXIS.
22. THE CHALLENGE FOR THE PROJECT WERE TO IMAGINE A SORT OF ROOM-MATE AND HIS ROLE, AS A FRIEND OR MORE AS A MEDICAL
HELP,. WHILE HIS SIZE (120CM) MAY NOT ALLOW HIM TO LOOK LIKE AN ADULT, THE FACE EXPRESSIONS AND GESTURES WERE
DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE SENSATION OF HUMANNESS WHEN SPEAKING OR INTERACTING WITH THE MACHINE.
23. SMALL DETAILS AS STRIPES, BUTTONS AND SOFT PARTS AND ARTICULATIONS WERE PLACED TO INCREASE THE SENSATION OF
CLOTHING, ALLOWING ANYONE TO DESIGN AND DRESS THE FUTURE ROBOT, AND TO IMAGINE PLUGS OR NEW FUNCTIONS, AS AN
OPEN API.
27. THIS FIFTH SEMESTER, MY FIRST AT POLITECNICO DI MILANO AND AS A MEDES STUDENT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO GO
DEEPER INTO METHODOLGY AND PROCESSES FOR GLOBAL DESIGN. THIS FIRST SEMESTER STARTED WITH A GROUP TREND ANALYSIS,
IDENTIFYING 5 NEW TRENDS GOING ON IN THE WORLD.
I ALSO MADE THE PRESENTATION VIDEO, WHICH WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED IN THE SCHOOL AND ABROAD. IT WAS PUBLISHED ON
CORE 77 AND 40 OTHER BLOGS IN THE WORLD. IN 5 DAYS, THE VIDEO WAS SEEN MORE THAN 40000 TIMES ON YOUTUBE. CLICK HERE
TO WATCH.
28. AFTER A USER RESEARCH, AN ANALYSIS OF PERSONAS ALLOWED US TO DEFINE THE NEEDS AND DESIRES FOR THE CHOSEN
COMMUNITY WE HAD TO WELCOME IN MILAN. THE IRANIAN COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE SMALLEST IN MILAN, WAS DISCOVERED AS A
GOOD STARTING POINT FOR THIS PROJECT. AS WE HAD TO DEFINE ROLES IN THIS GROUP PROJECT, I WAS CHOSEN TO TAKE CARE OF
THE GRAPHIC PART BUT STILL, WAS INVOLVED IN THE WHOLE REFLEXION ON THE SYSTEM.
29. THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT LINKING TO PLACES IN THE WORLD, CREATING THROUGH A REALTIME VISUAL FEEDBACK, A WINDOW ONTO
OTHER WORLDS. WITH A UNIQUE USER EXPERIENCE, THIS PROJECT SIMPLY CREATES A COMMUNICATIVE BRIDGE FOR A COMMUNITY.
LOCALLY AND WITH THE PLACE IN TEHERAN, THE COMMUNITY CLUSTERS TOGETHER, AND CAN ENJOY LANGUAGE COURSES,
PLAYFULL EXPERIENCES AND COOKING LESSONS, AS MUCH AS WHAT THEIR IMAGINATION CAN PROPOSE FOR ITS USE.
34. LITTLE CHILD TABLE DESIGNED IN THE WOOD WORKSHOP IN 2007. ORIGINALLY FOR MY LITTLE SISTER, THIS GIFT WAS A VERY GOOD
OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO BUILD AN OBJECT IN WOOD, STARTING DIRECTLY FROM THE ROUGH MATERIAL.
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36. A SPECIAL COMMAND FROM RYOJI IMAIZUMI, WORLDWIDE FAMOUS JAPANESE HAIRDRESSER. HE WANTED A UNIQUE PIECE TO
IMPROVE THE WAY HE WORK. USING USUALLY CHOPSTICKS, THIS GLOVE WAS A STRONG AND POWERFULL WAY OF TRANSFORMING
ITS FINGERS INTO CHOPSTICKS. UNFORTUNATLY, HE NEVER SENT ME ANY COMPENSATION OR GOOD PICTURE AFTER THE JOB WAS
DONE... HE’S ANYWAY USING IT!
LIFE.
37. A SHORT PHOTO PROJECT ON ICONIC OBJECTS. MADE DURING MY THIRD SEMESTER AT ENSCI, THIS WORK PRESENT THREE DIPTYCS
FOR SELECTED OBJECTS. IT WAS A FIRST INTRODUCTION IN PHOTORAPHY.
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40. THIS WAS, AMONG SEVERAL FLASH WORKS, A PORTFOLIO MADE LAST YEAR FOR THE MEDES APPLYING. CLICK HERE TO VISIT.
THE WEBSITE PRESENT OLDEER GRAPHIC AND DESIGN WORKS.
41. A ONE-WEEK-WORKSHOP MADE THIS YEAR WITH ALDO CIBIC. THIS PROJECT IS AN ANSWER TO A CAMPING SPACE SOLUTION AT THE
EDGE OF THE CITY. ROMANTIC MINIMAL AND ECOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT FOR WEEKEND FARMERS... TO VIEW THE FULL PROJECT,
CLICK HERE.
