Grassroots Mapping

A soda bottle, a GoPro and a balloon walk into a bar….

Urban areas are filled with unused spaces. These little moments of blight are completely devoid of energy mainly due to lack of design concepts that invite in human activity. How do we begin to look at the space from a different perspective? How can we watch how these spaces are used? Well, in a very literal sense, long before the advent of drones-a-plenty, we let a balloon help us tell the story. By walking properties with a special rig, we were able to create detailed 3D models of the space. If the goal was to bring people in, the added benefit of this playful balloon bouncing against skyscraper windows 15 stories up, made workers curious, and we were engaged in extensive engineering conversations throughout the whole experience. The public enjoyed helping, and being part of the project.

Launched: 2011
Designers: Kristin Freese, Giacomo Ciminello