Aimed at children ages 4+...
BUILD-IT is a ride on toy that offers new opportunities for interaction, creation and cooperation. Based on a pegboard like system, BUILD-IT is capable of being reconfigured into a myriad of new arrangements. Made up of four basic components; wheels, spacers/locks, axles/pins, and body panels; BUILD-IT allows kids to create their own experience and experiment with mechanical and aesthetic configurations.
BUILD-IT incorporates a level of complexity and difficulty that promotes teamwork between children or a child and their caretaker, and makes completing a functional arrangement that much more rewarding. As the child grows older BUILD-IT can be expanded by purchasing more wheels, pins or body panels to afford more complex combinations. Above all, BUILD-IT is a designed object, with an aesthetic simplicity and material warmth that makes it a welcome addition to a room, not an eyesore.
In order to make BUILD-IT more friendly, and more environmentally conscious, I chose wood as the primary material. The wheels, spacers & body panels are plywood which is inexpensive without looking cheap, and the axles are wood dowels. The first prototype was mainly for proof of concept, and was only constructed after the completion of a series of 1/8th scale models. The second prototype was a refinement of its predecessor, with lighter wheels and body panels and more softened edges. All versions of BUILD-IT were made with a CNC router to ensure accuracy and repeatability.
The final version of BUILT-IT is made of baltic birch plywood with a non-toxic, food-safe, oil finish. The body panels are mostly hollow for weight savings, and the wheels sport a geometric pattern with blue detailing. The seat is blue ultra-suede as it removable for easy cleaning. The kit contains three body panels, four wheels, 10 spacer-locks, 5 axle-pins of varying sizes, and one seat attachment. It is capable of safely supporting 250lbs and can be stored and shipped flat to save space.
