why should opjects or innovative
ideas be used for one function only
in modern societies where there is division of
labor
functions are increasingly being
separated from one another
that means that one goes to restaurants to eat
there are youth clubs for the youth
and senior clubs for the elderly
every function has its own space
shopping has to be done in the store
books are loned from the library
work is done at the office and for
watching tv you are sitting on your own couch
 
modern society's separation and isolation
has something to do with that division
of functions
everyone sits in his or her space
why do we like the small french
villages that we know from vacation
the elderly and the young sit together some are reading others are playing in the middle
of all this a barbour is cutting someone's hair in many places our
professional world is rationalized and
differentiated to such an extent that there
are now chances to reintegrate
functions some years ago we did a
workshop on the subject of operating
hours
the participants impartially reflected
about the potential for double
utilization of buildings what else could
one organize in supermarkets why are law
offices not turned into art exhibits
during the evening why couldn't a bed store
be used to test sleeping on
mattresses or even as an unconventional
hotel
operating with
more than one function has impressive
economic advantages
you don't have to build, furnish
illuminate or heat a new space
fantasy is the only thing that matters
in addition to economic advantages
reconnecting or reintegrating what
was separated also serves a good social
purpose it counteracts isolation bringing
people together who would otherwise have
nothing to do with one another
let's take nature as an example for
finding multiple applications for
things
it seldom occurs that something has only
one single function
biologists and ecologists inform us
that one plate of glass has at least
six functions
applying that concept to an
entrepreneurial idea you should ask
yourself
what types of things are used in other
places that i could otherwise use for
free i don't mean reusing waste but
rather having a good time for things
intended for other processes that i can reuse
for my own ends with the lowest
investment possible. in nature, multi
utilization is the rule and the widest
variety of cooperation forms have been
produced to facilitate mutual economic
utilization while at university i did not have my own apartment i lived in
student dormitories
or moved in with friends. that provided me not only with a lot of variety
but also with a high level of luxury
there was nothing to set up or to pay for
and i got to know many things
that i would not have been exposed to in
my own apartment like certain books art
or even everyday objects
my hosts were also content
for I treated everything with care, watered the flowers and gave them a generous
gift upon my departure that gift cost
only a fraction of what i would have had
to pay for rent it was also a luxury not
to have to deal with landlords
electricity and gas bills bureaucratic
things towards which everyone of us
fosters an aversion
living out of one suitcase for a long
time and later being able to accommodate
an entire move in a volkswagen beetle is
a bit like hitchhiking before purchasing
your own car you meet a lot of new people
and everyday is like a grand adventure
later you start driving yourself and
then become busy with repairs and bills
for tax and insurance
then come the worries that every unusual
sound provokes in its owner
indicating a potential need for repair
work it's not about money here but on
the time expenditure and paperwork the
complexity
that's why my ideas center around considerations how to reduce expenditure
i don't mean freeloading
but rather intelligent new
combinations that create win-win
situations for everybody involved
