Welcome to My Crib reveals the worlds behind the doors of Waterloo Architecture instructors. Today, we go down to the workshop to visit Dan and Heinz.
Previously on Welcome to My Crib, we (Sparsh & Tomoki), two daring students from BRIDGE, infiltrated the offices of various instructors at Waterloo Architecture to bring you the juicy details of what sits behind office doors. This week, we battled our way into the lair of Dan and Heinz in the workshop to bring you a glimpse of the hidden treasures that lie within.
Or so we thought…
Sorry article cancelled…
Just kidding, our persistence paid off!
We entered and didn’t know where to look first. The plants, the books, the random stuff everywhere—so we decided to ask Heinz (the hoarder himself) what his favourite object in the office was.
Looking around at the countless objects, it seemed Heinz loved it all. Dan, however, handed us a mysterious metal sphere.
Then Heinz handed us one of his favourite “conversation pieces”—an Oreo. Or at least Sparsh thought it was…
It was a wooden Oreo, of course.
He then showed us some other “conversation pieces.”
These red and green Danish bowls, embodying a Scandinavian aesthetic, are from 25 years ago. Protecting them are Harry Potter wands handmade by the workshop wizards themselves.
Heinz inherited these old-fashioned handmade ski boots, and keeps them there to remind students of the craft and quality that used to go into products.
Of course, Sparsh noticed the Kicking Horse Coffee and coffee machine. But there was a story behind it.
As an avid coffee enthusiast and designer, Heinz did not pass up the opportunity to pick up and restore a broken coffee machine with an interesting past.
The machine was part of the North House when it competed in the 2009 Solar Decathlon in Washington D.C., but was no longer functional. A few fixes and a 3D-printed coffee ground tray later, the machine was as good as new! It has since lasted them 8 years and countless cups of coffee.
Dan found his way into this office as a co-op student and started working here full-time three years later, after which he found his home here in the workshop.
While in school, he picked up woodturning as a hobby because it required little equipment. To this day, he has turned north of a 100 bowls, some of which are displayed on his desk as an open invitation to anyone who wants to learn!
He also acquired a wooden slab top and fashioned himself a desk perfect for this office.
Heinz had been an industrial designer in California, after which he began designing furniture in Kitchener.
One day he answered a newspaper ad from the Waterloo Architecture and the rest is history.
He knew it would be a turning point in his career, one which he was unsure whether or not it would be the right decision. Now he is very happy to be here and working with future designers, he proudly explains while sitting in front of the sacrificial board of the CNC router.
Over their years at the school, they have collected gifts and scraps of amazing student work to decorate their office! They hang proudly from the walls waiting to be inquired about by curious souls passing by.
Heinz keeps these pieces up as a reminder to students that they can fabricate anything they imagine.
Dan and Heinz’ office is a learning opportunity waiting to happen.
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