New maker creating geodomes at Herrick District Library

From the value of failure to teamwork to how communities use spaces, geodesic structures have a lot to teach everyone, according to Herrick District Library’s next Maker-in-Residence civic engagement artist Sara Alsum-Wassenaar.

Alsum-Wassenaar is a visiting professor of visual studies and foundations at Grand Valley State University.

During her residency, she is working on the collaborative art of geodesic structure creation.

Hacker-designer

“The overarching umbrella of my work is space and community. There’s a lot of different things I do to get at that — how space gets used and how the community interacts with and uses that space,” said Alsum-Wassenaar, who considers herself a “hacker-designer.”

She will be crafting a 3D model of a joint for the structures that will be available for anyone to 3D print.

Alsum-Wassenaar will host several drop-in sessions. The first session was Saturday, Jan. 11. Drop-in sessions are open to all and asking our Maker questions about their work is encouraged. There will also be drop-in sessions 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 18, 25, Feb. 8, 22 and March 1.

Courtesy Herrick District LibraryDuring her residency at Herrick District Library, Sara Alsum-Wassenaar will craft a 3D model of a joint for geodesic structures that will be available for anyone to 3D print.

Families will work together to explore the beauty and strength of the unique structure of geodesic domes during Geodome Structures: A Family Engineering Adventure events. Through building both micro and macro geodesic domes, participants will learn about the principles of geometry, engineering, and architecture in a fun and interactive environment.

Build your own geodesic dome

Hands-on workshops designed for curious minds of all ages will be 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 1, at the North Branch, 155 Riley St. (drop-in event) or 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, in Groundworks at the Main Library, 300 S. River Ave. Registration required starting Jan. 15 at herrickdl.org/events.

“The act of coming together to do something collectively is needed for a variety of reasons in contemporary society,” Alsum-Wassenaar said. “It’s a collaborative process. You cannot build one of these things on your own.”

Creating together and relying on trial and error helps build a growth mindset and teaches the teachable value of failure, she said.

“Part of the design process is you try something, and then it fails, and then you come up with a new strategy. … One of the things that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is the humility of admitting a mistake and then coming up with a solution for the mistake,” Alsum-Wassenaar said. “A lot of times young people are just taught to achieve and get it right. And there’s less room for failure and admitting failure and then moving forward from that.”

By the end of the session, each family will have a deeper understanding of structural design, as well as a sense of accomplishment in having built something remarkable together.