Adhocism, with its roots in Hippie communities of the 1960s and the Do-It-Yourself movement, began with designer and theorists Charles and Nathan Silver. In their book Adhocism: the Case for Improvisation (1972) they explored the art of living in a positive, ¨ad-hoc¨ manner by recycling already available materials for new purposes.
Subsequent designers were fascinated by everyday artistic improvisations, for example, using bottles for candle holders and tractor seats for dining chairs.