Decentralised local manufacturing could replace global supply chains as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to architects who collaborated on an open-source project to make face shields for hospital workers.
"Will this crisis reconfigure supply chains" I hope so," said Eric Höweler of Boston studio Höweler + Yoon, one of many US architecture firms that is using its 3D printers to make the face shields.
"We seem to have been caught by surprise, despite many experts warning of this exact scenario."
"We didn't realise how little we made domestically until we hit a crisis"
"It has also highlighted the fact that, in our global economy, we have outsourced and off-shored so much manufacturing of products," Höweler added. "We didn't realise how little we made domestically until we hit a crisis like this." Höweler's firm is working alongside others to produce face shields from 3D-printed and laser-cut components, using an open-source design.
New York firm Bjarke Ingels Group has dedicated its model shop to make face-shield components and is tweaking the design to optimise production.
"This unprecedented event will most certainly also result in massive changes to current modes of thinking, making and distributing as well as showing the power of community empowered response when our city, national and institutions fail us," said BIG partner Kai-Uwe Bergmann, whose New York office is also manufacturing vis...