Urban Fabric

Inspired by the beauty of city design, Nov82 Architects has launched the designer brand UrbanFabric. The first products of the brand are laser cut clocks with a choice of the image of Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Vancouver on the face.

Founded by Saynzo Osinga and Laura Ubachs in Rotterdam in 2009, Nov82 explores the boundaries of architectural design. In addition to architecture, interior and landscape design, they are also involved in model building and design – where laser cutting plays an important role.
According to Osinga, “The architectural model plays a major role in the way we work; it’s a great medium to explore spatial design and explain it to clients. Nowadays, quick modeling is possible thanks to modern technologies, among which the laser-cutting machine charms us in particular. That is the reason we decided to buy one.”

The strength of the tool is that it makes it simple to cut complex patterns with a variety of materials, providing the freedom to play with light and shadow, with volume and transparency.
The laser-cutting machine soon attracted other creative people in Rotterdam, who came to them with their own designs. Subsequently Nov82 decided to officially offer a laser-cutting service. To put their service on the map, and to show the various attainable results, the architects designed a number of laser-cut products. In addition to the clocks, they designed lamps that project Rotterdam buildings on the wall.

The clocks were an instant success because, according to Osinga, it gave people a sense of belonging and involvement with their city. “It’s like hanging a beautiful map on the wall, but more special. Looking at the clock, you find yourself exploring the city.”  Requests poured in from other cities. The collection began to grow and now includes more than twenty Dutch and international cities, including Vancouver.

This Dutch design is for sale at Dudoc in three different sizes and featuring three different cities: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Vancouver.