c-o-c-o-a
Studio render of a three-part object separated along its dowel joints

c-o-c-o-a — Lifespan

Mend

Can an object made with little material last a lifetime through repair?

Facts

Year
2026
Axis
Lifespan
Material
Bio-composite parts with dowel joints (in testing)
Method
Parametric part families in Grasshopper
Production
Contract processes without mold investment (planned)
Status
In progress

The question

Most objects are thrown away whole when a single part fails. Mend starts from the opposite assumption: every part will fail one day, so every part must be easy to replace.

The project is a family of objects built from few parts, joined so that they can be taken apart by hand and put back together.

Close studio render of the parts of Mend
Fig. 1Parts separated along their dowel joints. Studio render.

Conditions

Repair is designed in from the start. Parts are sized so that the one most likely to wear is the cheapest and simplest to make. Joints are dowels rather than glue, so taking the object apart never destroys a part.

Customization follows from the same logic. If parts are interchangeable, a person can change a lid, a ring or a base and make the object their own.

Studio render of Mend assembled loosely
Fig. 2A base, a ring and a lid, held by three dowels.
Studio render of Mend in an exploded view
Fig. 3The order of assembly stays visible.

Method

In Grasshopper each part is generated from a small set of parameters: diameter, height, wall thickness and dowel position. Changing one value updates the whole family, so a new size or a replacement part is a change of number, not a new drawing.

Exploded elevation of Mend: lid, ring and base joined by dowels LIDRINGDOWELBASE
Fig. 4Exploded elevation.
Studio render of a tea fiber bowl
Fig. 5Related line: Tea Fiber, a candidate material for the parts.
Studio render of an eroded sandstone block
Fig. 6Related line: Erosion, wear as a design input.

Why it matters

The lowest-impact object is the one that is never replaced. Few parts, little material and a long life are one design goal, and each object carries the story of its repairs.

Open questions

  • Which part fails first, and can it be the cheapest to make?
  • Can a replacement part be ordered as a number rather than a drawing?
  • How many repairs can a dowel joint take?

Status

Mend is an active line of research. The images on this page are studio renders of the part family, not finished products.

Credits

Design and research
c-o-c-o-a
Tools
Rhino, Grasshopper
Images
Studio renders, c-o-c-o-a