is this the new blueprint for civilization? Marcin Jakubowski plans to change the world by p r o d u c i n g a s e t o f m a c h i n e s t O create a sustainable society. W e t r a v e l d e e p into rural to m e e t t h e m an behind this utopian vision

words helene dancer photography miller mobley

s we pick our way along a muddy path towards a ramshackle mud-brick hut with plants growing on the roof, past squawking chickens and an abandoned tent, we’re not entirely Asure we’ve come to the right place. We’ve driven deep into the farmlands of Missouri to find Marcin Jakubowski, a visionary who wants to change the world, but this doesn’t look too promising. Marcin, originally from Poland, moved to the US as a child and, as prodigiously intelligent people do, finished his twenties with a PhD in fusion energy. But after achieving something beyond most people’s capabilities, he then struggled with the realisation that he had no practical skills, so he took the logical decision to move to Missouri and learn how to . Marcin immersed himself in the economics of and began to confront a whole set of problems he hadn’t anticipated. Farming equipment was expensive and costly to repair – one broken too many and our Marcin was broke, too. ∞ 58 _ Onelife Onelife _ 59 “I realised that the truly appropriate, As we reach the hut, we see three men low-cost tools I needed to establish sitting in soggy armchairs and drinking a sustainable farm and settlement just coffee in the morning sun. They squint at didn’t exist yet,” he said in a recent talk us, uncomfortable with the interruption, for the TED organisation, which brings the until a tall, lean, dark-haired man clutching world’s most innovative thinkers together a cup of coffee strides out of the doorway. Clockwise from top: Marcin Jakubowski, the at high-profile global events and online. “Hi, I’m Marcin,” he says, as the others enigmatic founder of Ecology, “I needed tools that were robust, leap up from their seats. “Sorry for the in the workshop; a cluttered workbench modular, highly efficient, low-cost and mess,” he continues, gesturing to the on which many designs are conceived and built; the second prototype of LifeTrac, one of the 50 made from local and recycled materials makeshift corrugated iron path and machines in the Global Village Construction Set that would last a lifetime. I then realised outdoor sink standing at a precarious that I would have to build them myself.” angle. “We had a flood this week and it Marcin set about building the caused lots of damage. We’re so busy Global Village Construction Set (GVCS), at the moment – there’s so much to do.” of a 3D printer “that’s like something out a selection of the 50 industrial machines His confident delivery and unwavering of Star Trek!” in its capacity to ‘print’ 3D he believes are needed to build and sustain gaze brings a certain order to the chaos designs out of metal. a small civilization with modern comforts. around us. We try a bit of banter to lighten He takes us outside to admire the GVCS These machines include , brick- the mood but quickly realise that Marcin prototype tractor – an impressive-looking making machines, wind turbines and bakery is not a fan of small talk. vehicle that looks a little Mad Max in its ovens. They are simple to construct, easily He weighs every word, making sure stripped-down, modular glory. maintained and built to last. each utterance has a purpose. There’s The tractor runs off power cubes that “I’ve planted 100 trees in a day. I’ve no room for wasted breath here on the will form part of all 50 machines. These pressed 5,000 bricks in one day from the Factor E Farm, especially when Marcin are self-contained energy units comprising dirt beneath my feet and built a tractor is working to hit a 2012 deadline for an engine coupled to a hydraulic pump in six days,” he told the rapt TED audience. completion of all 50 prototypes. that can be easily transferred from one “This is only the beginning.” Chris Fornof, a 21-year-old from device to the next. Eight of the prototypes are already Colorado, offers to show us around while Some of the men we encountered built and Marcin aims to publish the designs, Marcin finishes his coffee. We tramp across earlier are now drilling nearby and we schematics and instructional videos on the the field towards the workshop where the watch them as they prepare storage internet so that anyone can access them prototype machines are being made. It’s boxes for bolts. Chris tells us there’s – for free. All this will be delivered under a lean-to that’s cluttered with tools hung been so much interest in the project the banner of Marcin’s Open Source from rough-hewn wooden columns and that people now need to send a written Ecology (OSE) movement. bits of machinery scattered across proposal of what skills they can bring The OSE now has a growing network the worktops. to the table if they want to visit. of followers worldwide who want to help Chris points to the machinery, explaining The drilling intensifies as Marcin enters ‘We want to create the ability to him realise his vision. Many have made their various stages of production. His voice the building. With that steadfast gaze, have truly free enterprise or pilgrimages to his Missouri-based Factor squeaks with enthusiasm as he reaches a he clocks his people hard at work. Chris open-source production’ E Farm, volunteering skills that range laptop computer, a dismantled hard drive beams at him and then leaves to clean from welding to computer programming. and a piece of sheet metal – the makings out the composting toilets. “There’s incredible commitment from people who come here,” says Marcin. “They’re willing to live as pioneers in these rough conditions. Because we’re keeping clean in terms of our vision and motivations, keeping it honest and for the common good, we’re getting this support.” Louis ‘Thad’ Getterman, a Texan farmer and computer programmer in a Stetson, brings us some chairs and we sit down in the workshop to talk. Marcin looks like he’d be more comfortable directing the work going on behind us, but he switches ∞

60 _ Onelife Onelife _ 61 For this reason, Marcin picks the GVCS’s solar concentrator electric system as his favourite machine. “The entire structure of civilization depends on access to energy if you want to have a so-called modern standard of living,” he says. “Access to clean energy is 3D printer CEB press Tractor a huge issue.” This machine allows a design The Compressed Earth Block This is a versatile, four-wheel Unfortunately his neighbours Press takes soil and squeezes to be rendered as a three- drive, hydraulically driven, aren’t as enthusiastic about the initiative dimensional object. Based it hard to make solid blocks, skid-steering tractor and on an existing printer, the which can be used for building. loader. The design is modular, because of the steam-engine element RepRap, Marcin and his team’s The blocks are strong and so the tractor can be added to the design – they prefer to rely on provide a high degree of machine is being tested to see to or disassembled easily, horse-drawn power – but Marcin is if it can print to sheet metal. heat and sound insulation. which means any problems Currently the printer creates The machine can make up with its performance can confident many others will be. objects in plastic. to 16 blocks per minute. be fixed without difficulty. In fact, spurred by the talk Marcin gave for the TED organisation, reception to the kit has been overwhelmingly positive. The only doubters he’s encountered are some into interview mode. Like a news presenter, Marcin explains, “whether it’s a environmentalists put off by the fact that his words come out in neat sound bites. big corporation or a small player. it means building more machines. “The responsibility to change the world “They don’t have to reinvent the “Most people don’t appreciate that you is potentially huge here. I’ve always thought wheel and they can actually start making can have high-power equipment that’s about good solutions for making a better improvements on what exists already.” also an appropriate design for a lifetime, world. Life could be easy and great for Our conversation is interrupted by designed for true human service as everybody, but when we look around we a renegade rooster that flies into the opposed to commercial interests,” see a lot of destruction going on.” workshop and settles, squawking, on says Marcin. “If we create our products Sharing is at the heart of Marcin’s a power cube. Thad shoos the bird away in a way that serves both nature and vision. It’s perhaps a concept that has and returns to his laptop, typing furiously humans, we can achieve this goal.” an uneasy relationship with a capitalist with his Stetson pulled down low. We sit in silence for a moment, his society, but he believes it has a place. Once Marcin is satisfied that order proclamation hanging heavy in the humid “We’re trying to reinvent the ability to has been restored, he turns back to our Missouri air. He looks up, the sunshine have truly free enterprise or open-source conversation. “We didn’t have the internet casting his face in a golden glow. production. Distributive economics means here at first because the regular routers “For anybody who chooses to provide there should be enough for everybody.” don’t have the range, so we put together full commitment to something, it’s all So how did he select the 50 machines? a chicken-wire structure behind the within their powers. It’s about whether “That’s something we’re asked a lot,” he router as a focusing antenna. It’s totally you see the vision and have the motivation, replies. “First we went through a selection gutterpunk but works very well. and if it makes sense. If there’s sense of metrics, simply asking: What are the “You think you may need to use behind it, you can do it.” most important things everybody uses? advanced techniques but you can do “Like to eat, you use a tractor; a lot of things effectively in different TED is a non-profit organisation that brings drive a and you use manufacturing ways. That’s been a recurring experience together people from three worlds: technology, robots and milling machines to produce here – that so many things are possible.” entertainment and design. Since its launch in 1984, TED’s scope has become ever broader. Along with it. You’ll also need fuel for the car, so Marcin’s thesis at university was on two annual conferences in the UK and US, TED now we’ve included fuel equivalents and have improving the efficiency of solar cells; includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site and tried to select the most ecologically this work led him to fusion physics, a fellowship programme. www.ted.com friendly way to do it.” where he fell in love with the idea of more details By building and testing the set, he’ll building a sun on Earth to generate power. Visit opensourceecology.org know what improvements need to be But the affair ended when he to find out more about the project made. The open-source approach also came up against radioactivity issues, watch the video To see a short film of Onelife’s means the designs are mutable. “It so he returned to ruminating on ways trip to the Factor E Farm, either: allows anybody to download, modify to trap the energy that already comes Scan here (How? See page 11) and use the designs as they want to,” to Earth. or visit bit.ly/onelife_films

62 _ Onelife Onelife