These images show the design development progression. Originally, the design was going to be a combination book shelf & seat which would be fixed in front of all dorm room windows, but two factors made me change my design: 1) There was going to be more than 1 sheet of mdf to make it - I wanted to challenge myself and work to the 1 sheet as the brief called for and 2) after further study of my dorm room layouts, it became all to clear that the fixed item could not work as many of the dorms were not the same layout and by placing a fixed item in against some windows it didn't allow the remaining wall space to be used efficiently. The following sketches show my thought process of using the solid and void concept of my DDI. Once I was happy with a design, I began calculating the size of the material in terms of thickness as well as a construction joint method. I wanted to use no nails, screws or clue for the connections to somewhat challenge me. In the end I routed 9mm wide x 4mm deep lines into the vertical pieces so that I could slot the horizontal pieces tightly into them. In some areas I couldn't avoid using a little glue for added strength. In the end, I was very please with the result.

My Interval Furniture

Well here is the final design poster of my interval model. As you know it is a combination bedside table and shelving unit. The idea behind this piece was to create a standardized piece of furniture that the university could provide each student in their dorms. It is designed to be adaptable so that it can be put where ever the student sees fit. This is why it has all 4 side open to shelving.

The furniture was not deliberately inspired by either CR Mackintosh or FL Wright even though the final product seems to suggest so. My inspiration in basic terms was from the overlapping spaces and elements in my building design from DDI. I Adapted the overlapping nature of the floors into the shelves and the extension of the beams & columns over the voids into the vertical upright supports. The pattern on the shelf walls was again inspired by the solids and void nature of my design. It was a fun expression of my architecture concept on my DDI, whereby the frosted plastic being the void and the solid areas next to them being solids.

Interval Complete

I was relatively happy with the way the project went. The development process was successful in exploring a number of ideas and I believe the project represents the concepts underpinned in my design for the Industrial design & my beliefs of Industrial design itself. The poster above shows the thought process and the sequence is evident in the evolution of the design.

Above is the completed model. With a few hard knocks with the hammer, the pieces fit relatively well together and complications in building were fairly minimal. I think it would have been a little more successful as a lamp if more perforations had have been made in the pieces going vertically up the model. The idea of rotation and manipulation of shape and form is evident, however, I think the model came out a little different than I had expected. I learnt from doing this project, that although the concept may be pleasing at the maquette scale, realising it at 1:1 is a different story and I feel I probably went overboard with the form and only learnt this once the project was built at its scale. It's something I will consider in future projects and am appreciative to have learnt and undertaken this project.

Lap Top Chair

Lap Top Chair

I designed this chair for the school of multi media. At this school is the use of lap tops very important to all students. Student working on their computers everywhere at all times, in the lectures, at the tutorials and of course before, in between and after them. Lecture theatres, tutorial rooms and boardrooms usually have chairs and tables but in the circulation spaces is it more often benches or couches. So I wanted to create a chair which had a table attached to it, which should be placed in these corridor and circulation spaces. So the idea of a lap top chair was born. I named it Lap Top Chair since that is its main function but it is also suitable as a coffee chair-table or to sit and write in your notebook or calendar etc. In the front of the chair, underneath the table it is a pocket where you can put away your work, computer or magazine while doing something else. The Chair can be seated in a variety of ways. Either you can just sit with a leg on each side facing the table, or you can have both of your legs on one side in many different ways.

I wanted the design of this chair to be minimalistic and functional. The form to be simple and plain to fit the concept of my building. The contours of my lap top chair and its relationship to the building is shown in the poster. In the schools gallery space, which is open from floor to ceiling, is there different rooms boxing in and out on the three upper levels. This irregular but angular form has shaped the contour of the chair, when it is seen from the side.
This chair is made out of seven pieces which all has been jointed together by finger joints. By making it this way have I done it possible to create a sturdy chair without any use of glue, screws or other “join-together-things”. ; )

At least I just want to say that I am happy and satisfied with my result. The lap top chair turned out to be as I wanted it to. And it was very exciting to see all other furniture, well done everyone!

Refine section

The area I have decided to work on for my Refine project is highlighted on the plan below. It is the atrium space of the building which provides veritcal circulation between floors, is a social space and is interesting in terms of the scope for design in detail at the level required for this project. It will involve designing the structural steel system, floor and ceiling connections, stairwells, the sawtooth roof arrangment over the space, and facade system also. I've chosen to further my digital model-making skills and hope to either refresh my Microstation skills or learn to use another program such as Sketchup or Rivet. Should be fun!

REFINE PROPOSAL B

THE ILLUMINATED SCOTCH & SHOT BAR

This assignment was one that I enjoyed and will keep for many years to come. It has been one that required much detail in design and measurement to enable a fine specimen of what I wanted to achieve.

Image 1. The Completed Illuminated Bar
2. Detail Shot of the Light Well
3. The Concept and Design Development

Firstly my shot glass collection will now be safe and sound within the bar that should service us all very nicely throughout the last uni year and shall not remain empty like the bottle displayed in the review.

As much thought and inspiration came from the art deco period, with prominent people like Humphrey Bogart, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Durante and further on James Dean, I saw the swift curves on the lower levels while drawing the design sketches for this bar and an instant image was formed. The bar fits exactly on top of my book shelf to give the room some elegance next to the fireplace that I hope shall service me well!

As see in in the third image, the design fit EXACTLY on one sheet of MDF 1200 x 2400mm which was a requirement of the project.

The final project consisted of;
- 1 x mdf sheet 1200 x 2400mm
- locktite 401 glue (I tried to minimize the use of it though)
- Space for 15 shot glasses personally collected from around the world
- Space for 2 x bottles consisting of 1L Jim Beam and Jack Daniels respectivley
- An energy saving light lamp that fit in the light well on the right side of the bar as shown in the first image.

As the aim of the project was to keep in theme with our DDI assignment and stay true to the material we used (MDF). I think this was well achieved as not only was the project a bar from my DDI building, it represented a style that was and still is timeless and represented so many cinemas around the world. The bar also stayed true to the minimalist ideal of representing mdf. I used no other materials or fixings other than mdf and loctite to make this bar, unlike many other project in the 4B design stream of this year.