Esquisse two - Understanding form

Background

Understanding form and geometry are essential to the design process. As furniture designers you need to develop your basic understanding of contemporary form. Many architects today use triangulation to achieve the complex geometry that is driven by computer aided design.

Process

Using only the 10 mm x-board craft provided (no glue or fixings) construct and document the following:-

• A five (5) sided pyramid 100 x 100 x 100mm
• Calculate the correct geometry to ensure it remains within these dimensions. (use trigonometry or real world modelling)
• Consider the flat pattern of the pyramid and angles to cut.

Submission

You will be marked on this esquisse at the end of class. It is critical that you consider the accuracy of the dimensional form as well as the detail of the construction. You will also be required to submit an image of ­­­your outcome and post to your blog.

Esquisse one - Understanding material

Background
Understanding material properties is critical to design. As furniture designers you are not only responsible for the final geometry and form, but also understanding the process behind it. This project aims to develop these skills.

Process
Using only the 10 mm x-board craft provided (no glue or fixings) construct and document the following:-

· An open ended cube 100 x 100 x 100mm
· Each corner to use a different folding technique
· A locking method to hold the cube closed

Submission
You will be marked on this esquisse at the end of class. It is critical that you consider the accuracy of the dimensional form as well as the detail of the construction. You will also be required to submit an image of ­­­your outcome and post to your blog.

Pulp Non-Fiction - by Melissa Feldman

All over Milan pulp was in the air. Last month marked the 48th Salone Internazionale del Mobile where numerous green appropriate paper products were launched among 2,723 exhibitors. Eco-minded designers from Antwerp to Amsterdam recycled, re-purposed, and re-used materials from plastic to paper. The Dutch-based Premsela Design Forum led a discussion on repairing what’s broken while Swedish architects Claesson Koivisto Rune exhibited their Parupu children’s chair made from Dura-pulp, a composite material manufactured from paper pulp and cornstarch. According to Marten Claesson of CKR, “It [durapulp] has the qualities of plastic. You can mold it but it’s not oil based.” The chair was developed in con-junction with Södra, a Swedish pulp manufacturer, along with engineer Joakim Nygren. In the center of Milan at Skitsch, a new design retailer and manufacturer, Frenchman Philippe Nigro debuted Build Up, his flat-pack chair and table made from corrugated cardboard. Clearly the paper pulp trend has migrated to other shores.
When Jaime and Isaac Salm launched Mio, their Philadelphia-based design firm in 2001, they proclaimed that “green was just a color.” But now their 6-person office has made a full on commitment to manufacturing sustain-able furnishings out of recycled paper and materials.

‘Be4U’ - FURNITURE DESIGN HISTORY – DUE WEEK 6

1. Project Background
As furniture designers it is your duty and responsibility to be aware of design history - in addition to creating
the future, you will also be the custodians of the past. It is essential to understand how design styles evolve with the introduction of new materials and processes and with changing social influences and fashion.
A database of ‘classics’ can lead you to a greater understanding of the design process and inspire ground breaking new design whilst avoiding clichéd or derivative design.

Project Aims:
- to explore the work of prominent twentieth century designers
- to look at the influence of design fashion on furniture aesthetics
- to examine the opportunities (and constraints) created by emerging technologies
- to examine the influence imparted on the design by selected materials
- to gain an insight into the evolution of furniture design

Research Project Objectives:
Research the work of six prominent furniture designers chosen from the following lists, and collect images
of at least five furniture designs from each designer. Choose only two designers from each list
Explain in approximately 100 words of text (per A3) how their work has been influenced by social, cultural
and fashion trends, emerging technologies and materials, etc. Note any similarities or otherwise between their individual approaches to furniture design.

'Be4u' Furniture design history

LIST A
Alvar Aalto
Marcel Breuer
Eileen Gray
Josef Hoffmann
Arne Jacobsen
Le Corbusier
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Isamu Noguchi
Charlotte Perriand
Jean Prouve
Gerrit Rietveld
Michael Thonet
Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe
Hans Wegner

LIST B
Eero Aarnio
Harry Bertoia
Achille Castiglioni
Joe Colombo
Robin Day
Charles and Ray Eames
Grant Featherston
Poul Kjaerholm
Vico Magistretti
George Nelson
Verner Panton
Pierre Paulin
Eero Saarinen
Sori Yanagi
Michele De Lucchi

LIST C
Ron Arad
Mario Bellini
Fernado and Umberto Campana
Tom Dixon
Frank Gehry
Shiro Kuramata
Ross Lovegrove
Jasper Morrison
Marc Newson
Karim Rashid
Ettore Sottsass
Philippe Starck
Patricia Urquiola
Marcel Wanders
Antonio Citterio

NGV VISIT and IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION

A classic is something considered to be the best of its kind. It marks a high point in development for later generations.
To facilitate your research and understanding of furniture design history, you are required to visit the National Gallery of Victoria to view their 20th century furniture collection. During this visit is expected that you will take photos and complete sketches of a chosen furniture piece in the collection. These sketches can be in any appropriate medium and are to be submitted with your research in week 6. Following the visit you are required to research your chosen furniture paying particular attention to:
- designer
- construction methodology
- manufacturing materials and processes
- when it was designed – context
- why it is important / why it is a classic

It is expected that you will become an expert on your chosen furniture design.

Week 6 Presentation

WEEK 6 SUBMISSION: due on unit blog prior to studio class
(1) Presentation of three A4 pages (two designers per page) showing research into design classics.
Research furniture by your chosen designers and collate images and text using Photoshop or Illustrator. Images are to be of high quality (not low-res) and such should be scanned from books and printed publications - do not research or source images exclusively from the internet.
It is suggested that you research the work of all the listed designers before choosing six on whom to focus.
Note: All images must be titled with the names of the designer and the furniture and the date of design.
eg. Sori Yanagi, ‘Butterfly’ stool, 1956.

(2) A4 presentation of focused furniture research including
- sketches and photo essay from NGV visit
- in-depth research investigation – at least 300 words outlining your findings

RECOMMENDED READING:
- 50 Tables: Innovations in Design and Materials, Mel Byers: Rotovision, 1997
- 50 Chairs, Mel Bryars: RotoVision: 1997
- 1000 Chairs, Charlotte and Peter Fiell: Taschen, 1997
- Modern Chairs, Charlotte and Peter Fiell: Taschen, 1993
-100 Masterpieces from The Vitra Collection, ed. Alexander von Vegesack, Peter Dunas and Mathias Schwartz-Clauss: Vita Design Museum, 1996

Recommended websites

Design within Reach: www.dwr.com
Design Boom (webzine): www.designboom.com
Vitra: http://www.vitra.com
B & B Italia: www.bebitalia.it
Fritz Hansen: www.fritzhansen.com
Marc Newson: www.marc-newson.com
Knoll: www.knoll.com
Bludot: www.bludot.com
Swedese: http://www.swedese.se/
Heltzer: http://www.heltzer.com/
Fiam Italia: http://www.fiamitalia.it
Magis: www.magisdesign.com.
Capellini: www.cappellini.it
Stokke: www.stokke.com
Draide: www.driade.com
Thorsten van Elten: http://www.thorstenvanelten.com/
Edra: http://www.edra.com
Frame magazine: http://www.framemag.com/
Totem: www.totemdesign.com

Blogging

As part of semester two furniture design, students are expected to set up a web log (blog) that will be used as a part of a social media, discussion board and folio. This is intended to help encourage ‘thinking’ and the exploration of ideas related to the subject of furniture and specifically to the project “into the fold”.

Through the online environment you will also learn about peer review, the process of subjecting your work, research and ideas to the scrutiny of others. It is via this dynamic and engaging network that the parameters of the classroom can be vibrant and innovative.

As your blog will form your final semester folio and will be assessed, it is important that you develop this on a weekly basis. Responding to the challenges set in class will help contribute to a greater body of knowledge.

Each week the set project will appear on the class blog, feel free to make appropriate comments that may help further the class room discussion. All work will be presented as discussion groups using the room IT facilities, you are expected to be ready to start work at the begining of each class.

Getting started

Visit www.blogger.com and follow the step by step tour. Select one of the ‘minima’ templates. Make sure you use your full name, or an appropriate alias to name your blog. Finally email your blog link to intothefold2009@gmail.com making sure to include your student name and number by the begining of next class.

Once you have set up your blog, you will be using this for the first history project, ‘Be4U’ which along with the esquisses will be uploaded, make sure to write down all the key dates.

The History project and first esquisse are now online; please visit to find out all the relevant information at http://www.intothefold2009.blogspot.com/