DIKE • noun: dike.
1. An embankment for controlling or holding back the waters of the sea or a river. “They built a temporary dike of sandbags to keep the river from flooding the town.” 2. A contemptuous term used to refer to a lesbian. “The terms dyke and bull dyke are used with disparaging intent and are perceived as insulting. However, they have been adopted as positive terms of self-reference by young or radical lesbians and in the academic community. In the mainstream homosexual community, gay and lesbian remain the terms of choice.”
Synonyms: barrier, dam, weir, milldam, dyke, enclose, lesbian, gay woman.
Origin: Before 900; Middle English ‘dik(e)’, Old English ‘dīc’, Old Norse ‘dīki’; akin to ‘ditch’. 1940-45; earlier in form ‘bulldike’ (with a variant ‘bulldagger’); of obscure origin; claimed to be a shortening of ‘morphodyke’ (variant of ‘morphodite’, a reshaping of ‘hermaphrodite’), though morphodyke is more likely a blend of morphodite and a pre-existing ‘dyke’; other hypothesized connections, such as with ‘diked out’ or dike ‘ditch’ are dubious on semantic grounds.
Water School
Currently, a quarter of the population in India is facing water shortage. Yet, studies show that the origin of this water crisis lies not in the amount of water available, but in the way, it is used and not collected. The biggest problems related to this shortage of water arise in densely populated, fast-growing residence districts such as Dwarka, a neighbourhood in New Delhi.
To address the topic of water shortage, and show alternative ways to approach it, Studio Makkink & Bey aims to set up and build a school in Dwarka, dubbed the “Water School”. Within this school, selected emerging designers, artists and craftsmen will be invited to work together with the pupils on setting up and constructing the entirety of the school, ranging from pens to uniforms to the entire building of the school itself.
In this way, the school becomes both a learning landscape and a production landscape, therein both teaching in theory about more sustainable ways of handling water, as well as engaging students practically in constructing a real-life example of a more sustainable future.
When finished, the school will function as a sustainable hub, promoting and teaching about more environmental friendly ways of living and working.
–By What Design Can Do
3410 Illustration of the Community of the Water School, 2017, ongoing
3410 Illustration of the Landscape of the Water School, 2017, ongoing
3410 Illustration of the Water School and its Organization, 2017, ongoing
3410 Illustration of the production of Bricks for the Water School, 2017, ongoing
3410 Illustration of the production of the Glass Bottle for the Water School, 2017, ongoing
3410 Illustration of the production of the Uniform of the Water School, 2017, ongoing
A recent project developed for the WATER SCHOOL:
3306 Cheese Maker
Design, education and craft from the Netherlands and India merge together in the Cheese Maker, a design by Studio Makkink & Bey that was made for Imperfect Design.
The Cheese Maker is a stack of handmade objects, to make homemade cheese with. The tower consists of a juicer, a milk jug, a spoon, a colander, a pan, a cutting board, a bowl, a cheesecloth and a press. Each product is hand-made of different materials such as wood, ceramics (blue pottery), metal, copper, cotton, soapstone and marble.
Similarities between The Netherlands and India are the basis for the design. The designers were inspired by the long tradition in cheese making, the history in craftsmanship such as ceramics, and the population density which resulted in a tradition of stacking houses and goods in both countries. The themes of knowledge transfer, development and education form an important thread in this project. Studio Makkink & Bey worked with a local trade school in Jaipur where crafts have a central role for the development of the Cheese Maker. Jurgen Bey: “In the Netherlands we see craft gradually disappear, whereas in India it is still part of basic education.” Cooperation with craft groups in India offers opportunities to contribute to knowledge and education.
