Working With Cardboard pt2.
Notches
To create a grid like structure which give a large amount of support without being to heavy you need to use notches to 'overlap' the individual pieces. The pieces of cardboard will look like they are going through each other, the downside is if the cuts aren't straight or the measurements are off they won't hold well and as a result it won't be strong. You will need;
1. Various pieces of cardboard to create your grid
2. Knife
3. Ruler
4. Pencil
1. This type of joining method require careful concentration and patience.
2. Firstly you need to work out where you want the two pieces to cross, if they are the same length of whether you want them to be different heights.
3. Using your ruler draw out where you want the notches to go.
4. Measure the thickness of your cardboard and add this to the outside of your notch line, (if you make them too small the cardboard won't fit and if they are too big then the cardboard will wobble about)
5. Using a sharp craft knife and ruer, firstly make a shallow cut to get the accuracy followed by a deeper cut going all the way through the cardboard.
6. You will need to do this on the other piece of cardboard but remember you must do it upside down so that they can slot into each other.
Notches
To create a grid like structure which give a large amount of support without being to heavy you need to use notches to 'overlap' the individual pieces. The pieces of cardboard will look like they are going through each other, the downside is if the cuts aren't straight or the measurements are off they won't hold well and as a result it won't be strong. You will need;
1. Various pieces of cardboard to create your grid
2. Knife
3. Ruler
4. Pencil
1. This type of joining method require careful concentration and patience.
2. Firstly you need to work out where you want the two pieces to cross, if they are the same length of whether you want them to be different heights.
3. Using your ruler draw out where you want the notches to go.
4. Measure the thickness of your cardboard and add this to the outside of your notch line, (if you make them too small the cardboard won't fit and if they are too big then the cardboard will wobble about)
5. Using a sharp craft knife and ruer, firstly make a shallow cut to get the accuracy followed by a deeper cut going all the way through the cardboard.
6. You will need to do this on the other piece of cardboard but remember you must do it upside down so that they can slot into each other.
When joining cardboard together you can also use tabs to insert into a cut in a piece of cardboard, this prevents any movement between the cardboard sheets keeping the joint looking neat and stable.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics derives from two Greek words: ergon (work) and nomoi (natural laws) and means the science of work and a persons's relationship to it.
Also known as Human Factors, it helps define how the product is used, how it meets the client's needs, and most importantly if he likes it. It is meant to make things comfortable and efficient. It is absolutely essential in designing furniture, machines and equipment. Making good use of ergonomics helps prevent repetitive strain injuries and musculoskeletal disorders.
The foundations of the science of ergonomics appear to have been laid within the context of the culture of Ancient Greece. A good deal of evidence indicates that Greek civilization in the 5th century BC used ergonomic principles in the design of their tools, jobs, and workplaces. One outstanding example of this can be found in the description Hippocrates gave of how a surgeon's workplace should be designed and how the tools he uses should be arranged. The archaeological record also shows that the early Egyptian dynasties made tools and household equipment that illustrated ergonomic principles.*
* Human factors and ergonomics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2014.Human factors and ergonomics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_factors_and_ergonomics. [Accessed 12 November 2014].
Also known as Human Factors, it helps define how the product is used, how it meets the client's needs, and most importantly if he likes it. It is meant to make things comfortable and efficient. It is absolutely essential in designing furniture, machines and equipment. Making good use of ergonomics helps prevent repetitive strain injuries and musculoskeletal disorders.
The foundations of the science of ergonomics appear to have been laid within the context of the culture of Ancient Greece. A good deal of evidence indicates that Greek civilization in the 5th century BC used ergonomic principles in the design of their tools, jobs, and workplaces. One outstanding example of this can be found in the description Hippocrates gave of how a surgeon's workplace should be designed and how the tools he uses should be arranged. The archaeological record also shows that the early Egyptian dynasties made tools and household equipment that illustrated ergonomic principles.*
* Human factors and ergonomics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2014.Human factors and ergonomics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_factors_and_ergonomics. [Accessed 12 November 2014].
Anthropometrics
Anthropometrics is a collection of the measurements of the human body. It has been used in paleoanthropology, for identification, to categorize prison inmates for example ( Cesare Lombroso ), to try to characterize various racial, ethnic, and national groups in terms of those typical bodily features and in various attempts to correlate physical with psychological traits.
In traditional anthropometric studies there were eleven measurements:
- Height
- Stretch: Length of body from left shoulder to right middle finger when arm is raised
- Bust: length of torso from head to seat, when seated
- Length of head: Crown to forehead
- Length of right ear
- Length of left foot
- Length of left middle finger
- Length of left cubit: Elbow to tip of middle finger
- Width of cheeks
- Length of left little finger
The measurements can be static or dynamic.
In addition to these functions, anthropometry also has commercial applications: fashion design, furniture design, in engineering of automobile seats, space capsules.
Precedent study. History of chairs
Neolithic Period:
- large pieces of carved stone basically, sometimes covered with skins
- gold gilded ornate furniture for the wealthy members of society
- sometimes covered with leather
- made of carved wood
- much lower than today ( 25 cm )
- used by important people ( in the common households the chair was reserved for the master of the household )
- stiff, rectangular shapes at the beginning, then became less rigid and more curved
- ornate wood carvings
- main colors: gray, beige, black
- formes: square, rectangular
- the times reflected in the styles
- furniture inspired by the Greco-Roman tradition
- opulent designs
- floral ornamentation incorporated
- light colors, comfortable
- highly finished, sophisticated designs
- ornamentation
- after the Industrial Revolution when the mass-production arrived and a new wealthy class rised
- Gothic revival, Neoclassicism and Rococo revival became easy and inexpensive to manufacture as technology developed
- a continual stream of revival styles to meet the demands of the public resulting in excessive ornamentation
- asymmetrical organic curves
- materials used: wood, iron ->slim supporting structures
- diversity of styles and materials used
- influential designs
- modernity
- linear symmetry
- new materials: plywood, plastic, fiberglass, steel ( even cardboard is used )
- technical innovation
- designers are much concerned about the ergonomics and environment
References:
Furniture Design History. 2014. Furniture Design History. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.onlinedesignteacher.com/furniture_design/furniture_design%20history.html#.VGOF-_msUYk. [Accessed 10 November 2014].
Art Nouveau on Pinterest | 100 Pins. 2014. Art Nouveau on Pinterest | 100 Pins. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pinterest.com/rebeccamckenna/art-nouveau/. [Accessed 9 November 2014].
Art Deco Chair on Pinterest. 2014. Art Deco Chair on Pinterest. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pinterest.com/explore/art-deco-chair/. [Accessed 12 November 2014].
Philippe Starck Archives - Chair Blog. 2014. Philippe Starck Archives - Chair Blog. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.chairblog.eu/category/chair-designer/philippe-starck/. [Accessed 12 November 2014].
Modern chairs
We have also considered some well known modern designers in particular and their chairs since nowadays the concern for the human factor and as well for the environment has increased.
Le Corbusier- The reclining chair The LC4 was originally commissioned in 1928 for the furnishing of a villa in a suburb of Paris, France. The LC4 Chaise Lounge, AKA the "relaxing machine," is a lounge that mirrors the body's natural curves while appearing to float above its supports. The frame easily positions on the base using gravity and the users own weight to create various reclining positions. Mies van der Rohe- The Barcelona chair Mies van der Rohe designed this chair for his German Pavilion at the Barcelona Exposition of 1929. The architect said "The chair had to be . . . monumental. In those circumstances, you just couldn't use a kitchen chair." This simple shape derives from a long history of precedents, from ancient Egyptian folding stools to nineteenth-century neoclassical seating. The cantilevered seat and the back of the original chairs were upholstered in white kid leather with welt and button details. Frank Gehry- Easy Edges Side Chair Cardboard furniture came on the scene during the sixties as a cheap and light alternative to traditional furniture. At that time attempts were made to reinforce the support of the single-layer cardboard offered by using folds, tabs, slots, and other devices. Nevertheless, cardboard was not able to compete against plastic, which was just as light. Frank O. Gehry discovered a process that ensured cardboard furniture-making a new burst of popularity. “One day I saw a pile of corrugated cardboard outside of my office – the material which I prefer for building architecture models – and I began to play with it, to glue it together and to cut it into shapes with a hand saw and a pocket knife.” ( Frank O.Gehry, quoted in Marilyn Hoffmann, “Liberated Design,” The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, April 19, 1972 ) Reference: MoMA | Museum of Modern Art. 2014. MoMA | Museum of Modern Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.moma.org/. [Accessed 12 November 2014]. Charles and Ray Eames- Lounge Chair and Ottoman Made of molded plywood and leather for the Herman Miller furniture company. Were released in 1956 after years of development by designers, being the first chair that the Eames designed for a high-end market |