It's All About Community

As much as everyone would like to think the upcoming Night Market event will be about the extraordinary culinary experience or the intriguing design of the various carts, the reality is that tonight's event is all about contributing to a greater cause and helping out The Stop.  Both as a vehicle to raise awareness and funds, the event is yet another way everyone can help make Toronto better.  Some of the faculty members at Ryerson University had a chance to share their thoughts on their respective teams' works.

http://www.ryerson.ca/news/media/General_Public/20120619_mr_nightmarket.html

Food, Urbanity, and Woodlot

Today is the big day and the [R]ed[U]x Lab team has been putting a few final touches in bringing the cart to the site.  The team is eager to see the interesting carts that have been assembled by other design teams and indulge in the bountiful smorgasbord of food and drink from some of Toronto's finest restaurants this evening.  The exceptional urban location at Honest Ed's alleyway will be transformed from a utilitarian corridor and parking lot into a delightful oasis of food and design that a lucky 1000 guests will be able to partake in.  If the culinary participants are of the same caliber as Woodlot's team, then everyone is in for an unforgettable evening.  Everyone involved in this incredible inaugural event should enjoy the great food and great environment that has been months in the making. Congratulations to the organizers, all the design teams, and restaurants that have put so much effort into making what promises to be a great event benefiting one of Canada's first food banks!

 

This image courtesy of our friends at The Stop.

Loading the Cart for the Big Night

In order to secure the carts before the big Stop Night Market event, the organizers had to collect all the carts via truck and consolidate them in the evening at the Stop facility at the Wychwood Barns.  Along with our colleagues' carts from Interior Design, the [R]ed[U]x Lab team's cart was carefully packed away in the rental truck. At the end of the day, a good time was had by all... a little bit of sweat and effort is worth the benefits that tomorrow's Stop Night Market will reap.

Rolling through Downtown Toronto

Here is a video of the [R]ed[U]x Lab team taking the cart out of its maiden voyage from the Architectural Science building to the Interior Design building.  Fortunately the design was not driven by handling, steering, or top speed metrics...

At the Interior Design Parking Lot

Though today's temperatures were stifling and unbearable, the [R]ed[U]x Lab team made several trips back and forth between the Interior Design and the Architectural Science buildings carrying bulky and heavy items.  Fortunately the team was able to assemble all the cart components in the parking lot while also protecting it from the possibilities of a light shower.  While awaiting the Stop organizing team's pickup in the parking lot it was quite muggy; had it not been for Interior Design Professor Lorella DiCinto allowing the team to rest in the air conditioned workshop, it might have been a bit taxing on the team. Once again while sitting in the parking lot, the team's cart design elicited comments and smiles by the general public walking through the downtown core.

Signage, Identity, and Wood Themes

In order to assemble strong, visible signage, the [R]ed[U]x Lab team went with a clean laser-burned Woodlot logo with an accompanying menu for the Stop Night Market event as well as notable thanks to those who helped in this endeavour.

Remaining true to the consistency of both the design's material palette and rustic qualities, the signage complements the already engaging wood cart.  To finish off the consistency, the [R]ed[U]x Lab team decided to add some business cards for both the team and Woodlot burned on wood veneer for lucky patrons to pick up at tomorrow's event.

Getting the Cart Out

As there are four carts coming from Ryerson University (two from the School of Interior Design and two from Architectural Science), the Stop organizing committee decided to consolidate transport of the carts at the Interior Design parking lot.   The [R]ed[U]x Lab Team carefully popped the cart out of the Architectural Science building and took it out for a walk in downtown Toronto.  Turning heads and eliciting comments by strangers, the cart performed precisely as it should have, both in its portability and its evocative design.  The team does not profess to have a great deal of familiarity with vehicular design but the cart handled well enough to go down a couple of blocks in downtown Toronto (and jaywalking with it no less!) in rush hour traffic.