Today, more than 1 billion people live in transient communities. These “squatters” live in shanty towns, slums and refugee camps. By 2050, more than 3 billion people will live in these communities, more than one third of the human population. This tragedy is underscored by a lack of adequate public services at every level, from clean drinking water to education to sewage treatment. In slums, roads are often narrow, and residents do not have access to transportation. They are forced to carry all of their worldly goods and necessities. The Oruga bag is a flexible, open source design solution that hopes to empower people who need help with carrying their necessities.
After researching the demise of the Bauhaus and current sustainability trends, I designed the Oruga bag as an open source project.(The final blueprints will be posted on Instructables.com.) The bag is not a perfect solution. It is merely an idea that should inspire more creative solutions to the problem. The bag's design was inspired by the lowercase “i” letterform.
The bag's construction is simple, and the original prototype was constructed from duct tape. The goal of the project was to create a simple bag that could be recreated in almost any environment using available materials. The final bags are made from seatbelt webbing, and two internal bags were constructed to accompany them.
Additional Pieces: Oruga Brochure
- Unstrung Studio features the design work of Jim Schachterle. Jim is currently an eighth quarter designer at the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, GA. He is also a writer, and during the last two years, he has authored a number of articles and communication pieces. Learn more about Jim's design philosophy in the hire section.
