Out-of-the Box: A Furniture Design + Engineering Challenge
Student teams are challenged to design and build architecturally inspired cardboard furniture, guided by the steps of the engineering design process. They cultivate their industrial engineering and design skills to design furnishings that meet functional, aesthetic and financial requirements. Given constraints that include limited building materials and tools, groups research architectural styles and period furnishings. The teams brainstorm ideas, make small-scale quick prototypes, then make detailed plans and create full-scale prototypes of their best solutions. The full-size prototypes are evaluated by peer critique for aesthetic alignment to the targeted architectural style and tested for functionality. After final refinements, teams present their concepts and display their final prototype furnishings in an exhibition.
This cardboard table was designed by high school students for The Westcott House Museum, a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in Springfield, OH.Copyright 2016 The Westcott House Foundation. Used with permission.
- initial, small-scale quick prototyping materials, such as heavy-weight paper, cardstock, chipboard, lightweight foam core board, toothpicks, (optional) orthographic paper for orthographic production drawings
- cardboard of all kinds, such as corrugated, smooth, rigid, flexible, paper towel tubes, mailing tubes, carpet roll tubes; appliance boxes work well and can be obtained at big box stores; make enough available so each team could build any of the identified furnishings
- cutting tools: box cutters, craft knives, cutting mats, self-healing mat boards, (optional) hand saws
- measuring tools: metal rulers, yardsticks (those with non-skid backings are best), tape measures
- adhesives: white school glue (available in bulk from school supply retailers), tape, spray-on adhesives for temporary and quick prototyping, kraft paper tape (traditional brown packaging tape that requires moistening, but provides strong, long-lasting seal on boxes and cartons; available at http://www.dickblick.com/products/kraft-paper-tape/, Office Depot or packaging stores)
- small buckets/bins, for moistening kraft tape
- inexpensive paint brushes; available in paint sections at hardware stores
- (optional) canvas drop cloths, to protect floor or work surfaces
- safety equipment, such as safety glasses and eye protection, depending on tools used
- computers with internet access, for research
- sketch books, Post-it notes and pencils, for field trip
- cameras, to make visual record of architectural works seen on the field trip and document prototype progress
Contributors
Jenny Montgomery; Marta Wojcik
Supporting Program
Collaborative RET Program, Universities of Central State, Dayton, and Wright State in Ohio
Acknowledgements
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. EEC 1405869—a collaborative Research Experience for Teachers Program titled, “Inspiring Next Generation High-Skilled Workforce in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials,” at the University of Dayton, Central State University and Wright State University in Ohio. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Thanks to Karina Larsen and Christina Wadstrom, industrial engineers from the Design School Kolding in Denmark who generously agreed to permit the use of their images of small-scale chair design prototyping and drawings in the engineering log handout.
Copyright
2017 by Regents of the University of Colorado; original © 2016 Universities of Central State, Dayton, and Wright State