Design for the Cold exhibit November 2nd to 25th, 2005

Design for the Cold at the Design Exchange was a fantastic success; bringing together academics, practitioners and the general public in an environment of education and experience. View photos from the Exhibition here

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The Design Exchange (DX) is pleased to present the multi-disciplined exhibition, Design for the Cold from November 2nd through November 25th. The goals of this exhibition are to raise awareness about how Canadians experience the winter, to identify the physical exigencies and to exhibit universal design solutions applicable to winter environments. Through an open call for submissions, sixteen designers, educators and health sciences researchers from all disciplines have been selected to present their work in the form of research posters or design models/illustrations. Accompanying their work is a central installation produced by seven Canadian artists that interpret the act of breathing in the cold. The DX is located at 234 Bay, Toronto; admission to this exhibition is free.

During the cold months of the year, something as seemingly routine as going outdoors can become a difficult and even dangerous task for Canadians. This is especially true for those with disabilities or chronic illnesses and/or the vulnerabilities associated with childhood and old age. Simply attempting to breathe and move can require conscious effort and determination. Harsh environments present many concerns for people: fear and anxiety, depression, restricted mobility, reduced vascular sensitivity and dexterity, reduced muscle strength, stiffened joints, etc. Consequently, many people remain indoors for a large portion of the year, especially when health concerns are compounded with physical barriers.

These seasonal issues raise a call for collaborations among planners, policy makers, urban designers, architects, industrial designers, manufacturers, graphic and fashion designers, artists and health researchers. There is a need to identify, understand and create universally designed spaces and products to enable all persons to thrive in Canadian winters.

Exhibition themes include universal design principles, the use of mobility aids/assistive devices in the winter elements; environmental design, urban planning, suburban issues, challenges of rural and remote communities in winter weather; winter clothing/footwear, breathing in the cold, and the psychological/emotional consequences of winter.

Participating Designers and Researchers:

Brad Bass and Karen Liu
CD Evans
Christopher Stewart and David Brown
Geoff Fernie and Brandi Row
Thomas W. Garvey and students of Carleton University
Bsarki Hallgrimsson, Nick Sianchuck and Doug Macmillan
Chris Hardwicke
Meagan Henke
moimoi design
Chris Pandolfi
Brandi Row, Sonja Wenk and Monique Gignac
Brigitte Shim, Megan Torza and Solmaz Eshraghi
Laureen M. Snook
Alexander Tedesco
The Sudbury Street Skin Project

Installation by artists Jack Butler, Sheila Butler, Larry Glawson, Cynthia Hammond, Victoria Mamnguksualuk, William Noah. A poster review with participating exhibitors is scheduled for November 2nd, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm, followed by a launch reception from 5:00 pm – 7:00pm. The public is encouraged to attend.

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication on Universal Design in the Exchange series produced by Design Exchange. Content in the publication draws from the Universal Design Professional Development Series, which was a sequence of interdisciplinary workshops that introduced designers and other professionals to the concept of Universal Design and how they can create accessible products, communication tools and environments for people with disabilities and the aging population.

Design for the Cold is presented by Design Exchange (DX), in partnership with the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario at the Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Health, Care, Technology and Place CIHR Strategic Research & Training Program (HCTP), University of Toronto, and The Change Foundation, and sponsored by Mountain Equipment Coop. Exhibition support is provided by the Seneca College Work Placement program. This exhibition forms part of he Universal Design Professional Development Series launched by DX in January 2005, which included an exploratory workshop on the topic: www.dx.org/universal

For more info contact:

Catherine Molnar
Professional Development Coordinator
416-216-2120
catherine@dx.org

Paola Poletto
Senior Director - Programs
416-216-2134
Paola@dx.org






ARCHIVAL MATERIAL

OPEN CALL TO RESEARCHERS AND DESIGNERS
Deadline for abtracts July 15, 2005

Design Exchange (DX), in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, the Health, Care, Technology and Place CIHR Strategic Training Program (HCTP), University of Toronto, and The Change Foundation is pleased to announce an open call for submissions to include in the Design for the Cold exhibition. The goals of this exhibition are to raise awareness about how Canadians experience the winter, to identify the physical exigencies and to exhibit design solutions applicable to winter environments. Designers from all disciplines and researchers from all health sciences are encouraged to submit work in the form of research posters or design models/illustrations.

Download the call for submissions
PDF Format
Microsoft Word format