What s My Line?  Furniture Say Architecture Students

Sixteen architecture students in the University of Cincinnati’s top-ranked College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning are in the middle of 10 weeks of fast-paced – make that very fast-paced – product development.

In late March, they began with 32 ideas (two each) for the best, most compact and security-conscious designs for desks, shelving, storage and accessories to best meet the needs of college students like themselves – those studying graphic, industrial or fashion design as well as student architects, planners and artists – and for professionals in these fields.  Now, led by Anton Harfmann, DAAP associate dean, they’re at the point where they’ve winnowed the concepts to 10 designs that all work seamlessly together.  By early June, they must be ready to turn over all ideas and full-sized models to their client, Bold Furniture of Spring Lake, Mich.

“The challenge is the best part,” said Vince Calabro, 20, a second-year student from Hinkley, Ohio, adding, “This is pushing us further and further to come up with different ideas, respect what’s been done before and really focus on elegant and simple technology.  If it’s overdone, it’s not manufacture-able.”

Calabro is concentrating his focus on a lap-top tray that swings out from below a drafting table.  The metal tray has slightly raised sides – perforated to admit wires – that will provide security when the element is locked in place under the table.  The side panels also prevent a lap-top from slipping off the tray to the ground.  “Bold already has something similar, but it has a flat surface.  My idea has more depth if you will, literally and figuratively,” he laughed. 

Calabro is already using his design in studio, explaining that with the swing design, his laptop is available but not taking up valuable work space.  And, when he swings the tray under his design table, the laptop is secure and out of the way of his knees.  “We students are always going off to a lecture, to talk to someone, to get something to eat.  Our design studio hours can last all day and all night.  It’s great to have something where you can secure your laptop so easily but still have it so readily available,” he explained.

Minnu Srinivasan, 29, of the city of Thiruvananthapuram, India, is creating a full-sized mobile locker on retractable wheels.  The locker, which can be attached directly to the elevated design desk, also provides presentation space and plenty of storage as well as privacy. 

Another example: Ben Curry, 20, of Nashville, Tennessee, is fashioning a half-sized locker/seat that can be cleverly locked to the foot-rest bar beneath a design table.  When not in use, the locker is placed – open drawed up against the bar.  The bar fits seamlessly into two notches just below the drawer.  When the drawer closes, it closes over the notch, and the locker is immovable.

“The drawer is a lock.  The entire locker is also a seat,” said Curry, adding, “That’s because I don’t like a piece that is used for just one function.  To be a good idea, it has to have multiple uses.”

Curry very much appreciates the classroom work on behalf of Bold Furniture.  He admits, “Honestly, I usually ignore the particulars of an assignment and work out what I think best despite the assignment constraints.  But this time, we have to solve real problems and are being forced to evaluate the practicalities of the marketplace.  I’m excited to be working for a real client.  It’s going to be neat to see my work in a catalog.  That will be my next portfolio, their product catalog with a post-it note where my work is.”

The UC architecture students work on their Bold Furniture concepts from 1-5 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Room 7265 of DAAP.