INVESTIGATIONS! Design Project
Infrastructures of Consumerism #4
By: Tom Rawson, Fynn Reyle
Studio: Infrastructures of Consumerism I SS2020
Habitat Unit
Published on September 9, 2020
Tom Rawson - Purchasing Ice Cube Trays
30.4.2020: 14:19 Arrived at Amazon facility Rochester, Medway GB. 1.5.2020: 14:12 Departed an Amazon Facility Rochester, Medway GB. [A] 2.5.2020: 02:56 Arrived at Amazon facility Garbsen, Hannover DE. [B] — 03:06 Departed an Amazon facility Garbsen, Hannover DE. 05:12 Arrived at final delivery station. 09:48 Out for Delivery. [C] 4.5.2020: 10:39 Delivered to a neighbour Frau Steinmann
The project seeks to highlight the diverse urban contexts through which the delivery of online consumer goods travel before arriving with the end user. This process throws a spotlight on how ‘big box’ typologies are becoming an increasingly emerging typology in our peri-urban landscapes with little interaction with their surrounding neighbourhoods. Moreover, tracing infrastructure spaces provides us with insights into the way in which e-commerce and logistics companies exploit the city’s existing mobility infrastructures, local labour and even our own neighbours. In addition, it explores the existing last mile solutions available in our inner cities and questions to what extent we value our social interactions with our neighbours––“Frau Steinmann”, as opposed to the autonomous lockers named “Joanna” which are becoming more and more common across Berlin.
Site Plan – Amazon Logistic Yard, Tegel
Amazon has its own ‚uber‘ fleet called amazon flex which allows people to work through an app by picking up a batch of amazon deliveries that they can then drive and deliver to peoples door steps. The delivery operative can can schedu- le their own working hours
Amazon Logistik Yard – Berlin with Logistical Vehicles
Amazon‘s first distribution centre in the middle of the city. The company is out to target city dweller‘s such as those with long working hours or parents without cars. That means the central location is essential for efficient delivery to covers the largest possible area. In addition, Amazon is offering deliveries inside an hour on food products ‚prime now‘ which also utilises delivery bikes in the city for deliveries in closer proximity.
Schönfließer Str. 14
Frau Steinmann
Frau Steinmann lives on the ground floor. She provides a community service for her neighbours. Frau Steinman is the first port of call for any delivery driver who visits the appartment block, she accepts many many deliveries a week and takes care of them until we have the time to collect them from her.
Shell Petrol Station – Bundestraße with Amazon Locker ‘Joanna’
MEET JOANNA..
„In light of the evolving situation with COVID-19, please scan the barcode received in this email when at the Locker. The slot containing your parcel will open automatically helping you avoid contact with surfaces.“
Joanna is our new neighbour, she will take in our items, keep them safe in a convenient location and even look out for our health. But don‘t take too long, in 3 days she will return it.
Amazon Locker Map – Berlin
Fynn Reyle - Purchasing Shoes
Delivery Routes
The delivery chain of an order of shoes, which were purchased from a dutch company based in Amsterdam.
Delivery Chain
Besides the spacial setting the purchase travelled in, the different urban and geographical spaces, the package went through will be displayed, as well as the possible ways it could have travelled within Berlin and its surroundings.
Pictogram
The logistics company DHL which took care of the whole transaction, is operating worldwide. Besides their international delivery chain, here in Germany they use a certain network of facilities in order to keep the ways of delivery short an efficient.
DHL Packet Centre - Site Plan
DHL Packet Centre - Axonometry
The package was originally sent from a smaller dutch based logistics-center in Aachen, Germany, from where it was driven by a truck to the DHL Zentrum Krefeld located in the west, close to the origin of the package. As soon as it has entered the automated DHL-de- livery-system, it will be transferred to one of the main logistic-hubs, mostly outside the city of the destination. In this case it went to the DHL Paketzentrum Rüdersdorf.
There it was sorted by final destination areas within Berlin and loaded onto smaller vans to deliver it to a DHL distribution hub, here it was the Mechanische Zustellbasis Berlin Mitte. Afterwards the drivers get a certain route to deliver all the packages for a certain area.
DHL MechZB - Site Plan
DHL MechZB - Axonometry
In case nobody is answering the door the driver has two options. Either he brings it to smaller shop, which is a DHL Paketshop or to a DHL Packstation. From there the person receiving the package has to pick it up personally.
In the case of the shoe-order, they needed to be picked up by a Packet- shop nearby the destination.
DHL Paketshop - Site Plan
DHL Paketshop - Axonometry
BB2040
[EN] Berlin Brandenburg 2040 was initiated by the Habitat Unit in cooperation with Projekte International and provides an open stage and platform for multiple contributions of departments and students of the Technical University Berlin and beyond. The project is funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation.
[DE] Berlin Brandenburg 2040 wurde initiiert von der Habitat Unit in Kooperation mit Projekte International und bietet eine offene Plattform für Beiträge von Fachgebieten und Studierenden der Technischen Universität Berlin und darüberhinaus. Das Projekt wird von der Robert Bosch Stiftung gefördert.
