Environmental Design 1

3D Design

University of Iowa- School of Art and Art History

For the last assignment in Environmental Design, we were asked to construct a chair out of sustainable materials. I'd done extensive research about bamboo plywood and decided to use this material. I located a dealer in Chicago, Green Maker Supply, who was willing to sell me a large scarp pieceat a much lower cost. Coincidentally he attended the University of Iowa as well and was very eager to help me out. The pieces were cut at Midwest Machine, located in Welton, Iowa. The artist I studied is Ryan Frank. He builds beautiful and functional furniture from sustainable and recycled substances. His chairs have very organic curved lines, forming to the body. He also utilizes storage and wheels in a few of his shelving units. I fused these few concepts together to create my chair emulating his work. The chair is designed for usage in small, crowded offices or work spaces lacking room for storage. It has not been stained, because I would like to conserve the natural beauty of the bamboo as much as possible. I learned A LOT about construction throughout completeing this project. As a first time carpenter, I struggled with many obsticles along the way. However, it has definitely sparked my interest in the area and I would like to continue studying this craft.