DESIGN AND “FABRICATION” OF STUDIO FURNITURE INDES 352

Instructor Ross Day 360.697.0185 [email protected]

Prerequisites: Indes 350,351, Art 108,112

Text: None required. However, see the Reference Books and Resources lists to assist you to inspire and develop your design skills and project.

Drawing Supplies: 4x6 blank white index cards 8.5 x 11 paper (white office paper is fine) Your other drawing supplies: Flimsy, markers, colored pens, pencils etc.

Project Supplies: Will vary according to individual project.

Course Outline This course is geared to you, the Interior Designer, as opposed to the person who desires to be a professional maker of furniture. Therefore it is more design oriented than technical in nature. Though these are not exclusive to each other, the Course is designed within the short amount of time we have to give you general information about the characteristics and properties of wood as a material, simplified joinery, shop machine and tool use, and specific information and techniques about the furniture design process itself.

The Project will allow you great individual design and creative freedom within the time constraints of this 1 quarter studio course. The objective is to give you some practical ‘hands on’ experience in the workshop environment, and the experience of completely working through a project utilizing a specific design process, analyzing and doing the construction process, while identifying and solving design and construction issues on the way to completing the finished piece.

The course content will comprise 5 areas: -Lectures and demonstrations. -4 “quick” black and white sketching assignments. -4 color drawing assignments. -Project design and design presentation to the class. -Screen or small table project.

Course Outcomes Students who successfully complete this course will be able to: -Both sketch and draw with the ability to express the essence of various furniture forms. -Produce original drawings extracting the major features and salient design points of well known 20th century furniture styles, and do a written critique of said drawings using effective communication skills. -Follow a specific furniture design process utilizing rough sketching, scale drawings, mock ups, working drawings, and cut lists. -Present an individually designed piece of furniture in oral, visual, and written form to a live audience, also justify and defend the selection criteria (design details, material(s), and finish) of the design. -Construct the individual piece of furniture following the outlined design process, applying effective, sound joinery and construction techniques. -When the piece is complete, assess and analyze the material selection and construction process, recommending any future modifications or improvements.

Evaluation & Grading: -Sketching and drawing assignments/Class Participation (including attendance, effort, and aptitude) 25% -Design Process (design concept and drawing, design presentation, work in progress) 25% -Final Project (cohesiveness and consistency with style source, materials/finish, 50% technique/construction, imagination/creativity, overall strength of project).

Your assignments must be complete and submitted on time. A grade per day penalty will be applied to late work. An ‘Incomplete’ grade will only be allowed in emergency circumstances (hospitalization, physician documented illness, etc.). Anyone else dropping the course beyond the time allowed by the college will receive a failing grade and will have to repeat the course at a future time. This is to save everyone wasted time and effort. This is s studio course, and therefore very time and labor intensive. Please be realistic about your class scheduling.

Specific Assignments

Quick Sketches in Black Pen There are 4 sketching assignments you will do on your own time. For each assignment you will produce 6 freehand sketches. The format will be perspective sketching in black ink on 4 x 6 blank white index cards. A black rolling ball pen is ideal for this. You should spend no more than 5 minutes on each of the 6 sketches. These are exercises to develop functional quick sketching skills through line drawing, shade & shadow, indication of materials, etc. The object of these sketch assignments is multifold.

-To expose you to various furniture styles, locations, and resources. -Seeing and the ability to draw what you see is critical to designing and communicating with a colleague or client. -To develop your skill in producing quick drawings, to interpret and express the essence of the object form.

Quick Sketch Schedule

DUE Subject: Furniture in Your Own Home. Line drawing only; no shade or shadow.

DUE Subject: Contract and Architect Designed Furniture. Location: Ligne Roset 55 University St. Seattle 206.341.9990, or Design Within Reach (DWR) 126 Central Way Kirkland 425.828.0280 (DWR also has Seattle location). Sketch furniture of your choice. Line drawing and also indicate materials used in each piece.

DUE Subject: Period Furniture (antiques). Location: Your choice. Concentrate on details – hardware, carving, connections/, joinery, etc. These are sketches of closes-up views.

DUE Subject: Studio Furniture and ‘Art’ Furniture. Location: Northwest Fine Woodworking 101 S. Jackson St. Seattle 206.625.0542 . Sketch furniture of your choice defining materials used, as well as some simple shade and shadow technique.

** Please use proper protocol when doing any outside sketching. Always introduce yourself and ask for permission to sketch. Also try to stay out of the way so customers can move around easily.

Color Drawings

In each of the first 4 weeks you will also be utilizing color drawing sessions to explore well-known 20th century furniture styles to give you design exposure to these styles as well as possibly giving you ideas to incorporate into your own project design. These can be either freehand or hard line drawings in perspective format using any medium you desire within on 8.5 x 11 paper (white office paper is fine). I encourage all these to be hand drawn, but if you wish up to 50% maximum may be done by computer. For color; colored pencils, markers, watercolor, etc. it’s your choice. Turn in 1 idea of a screen or table per each style due that particular week. There is no time limit on these drawings. Don’t kill yourself; just make them clean and nice with the objective of expressing the major features of the particular style you are drawing. All drawings are to be your ideas. No copies permitted.

Color Drawing Schedule

DUE Subject: Macintosh and Memphis. Macintosh: geometric patterning/use of positive and negative space to reinforce that patterning/decorative panels/painted black or white/strong vertical or horizontal emphasis both linear and curved. Memphis: bright colors/bold patterns/often asymmetrical/eccentric/challenge to mainstream design/industrial materials: p.lam, metal, paint, plastics.

DUE Subject: Craftsman (Arts and Crafts) and Shaker. Craftsman: idealist/rejection of mass production/’honest’ craftsmanship/exposed joinery/simple, utilitarian/ Linear/local materials and craftspeople/oak, mahogany. Shaker: linear but softened with lathe turned parts/practical, efficient, ultimately functional/light/simple, unornamented/informal/maple, cherry, sometimes painted.

DUE Subject: Art Nouveau and Art Deco (Art Moderne, Jazz Modern). Art Nouveau: curvilinear, open/organic images inspired by nature/asymmetrical/labor intense with carving etc. Art Deco: highly stylized, classical/ornamented/fine craftsmanship/bold forms/polished, rare and exotic materials.

DUE Subject: Eastern (pick one Eastern style), and Scandinavian. Chinese: conservative, traditional/classical lines/interlocking joinery/ornamented; carving and painting. Japanese: understated/clean, simple lines/portable/fine joinery/hardware (tansu). Korean: mix of Chinese (traditionally) and Japanese (more currently: tansus, etc). Egyptian: the earliest furniture/classical architectural forms mixed with animal forms (feet, etc.)/ornamented. Scandinavian: modern, understated/clean, simple lines/fine craftsmanship/natural materials.

Color Drawing Critique

Analyze and evaluate each object drawing you compose. Do a short (100 words or less) critical assessment of the merits, strengths, and weaknesses, of each style you are interpreting. Make these your interpretations, they don’t have to “go by the book.” Turn in these individual critiques along with each assignment due that particular week.

Screen or Small Table Project

Furniture, in any given style, is distinguished by particular characteristics of line, structure, materials, and “feel” typical of that style. Use your own reference materials to develop and synthesize, analyze, and evaluate the “salient points” of those characteristics, which describe the particular style you want to infuse into your project.

The design process begins with brainstorming: rough concept sketches and ideas, proceeding to develop and become clarified through more refined sketches, 1/8 scale hard line drawings, mock – ups, etc., culminating with a final design presentation, full scale working drawings, and cutting list to execute your project.

Size: Table: small end table or coffee table size.

Screen: 6 ft. in height max, width proportional to height. Note: We must keep things to a manageable scale as our shop is small, and you must finish this project within 7 weeks. In our time frame smaller is better.

Materials: Wood, in solid and/or sheet good form, is usually the primary material. However, other materials may be used in a supporting role within your design. Metal, glass, fabric, paper, etc. are possible choices if appropriate.

Style: Your choice. This may or may not be a furniture style.

Finish: Whatever is appropriate for you particular project – oil, lacquer, shellac, varnish, paint, etc. or unfinished if applicable.

Joinery: Structurally sound; no joint or technique you can’t execute (doweling and biscuit joinery are mostly used in this course).

Work at home? Most construction is usually done in the BC shop. However, you may work as much or as little at home as you wish. You are also free to collaborate with someone and/or “sub out” part of your project. Finish work (painting, oiling, etc.) is done at home in a controlled and cleaner environment. If you are doing the majority of your work outside the BC shop, you are required to submit at least 2 emailed progress reports including photos.

Evaluation: Design Process: - consistency with style source. -full scale working drawings. -materials/finish. -construction/technique. -imagination/creativity. -overall strength and execution of project.

Requirements to begin: -Concept Presentation Drawing and /or mock – up, etc. -Full scale working drawings (shop drawings). -Cutting list. -Project materials.

When to Begin: NOW. Thru the course of the lectures, sketching, slides, etc. you will get ideas and concepts. Try to think about what is you, in terms of styles, materials, personal tastes, etc. One of the most important keys to becoming a successful designer is to do things that are in your nature, things you like and are attracted to, and not foreign to you as a person. Brainstorm by researching and sketching ideas that come to your mind. The ideas will come.

DAILY SCHEDULE

WEEK 1 COURSE SYLABUS AND INTRODUCTION Lecture: THE FURNITURE DESIGN PROCESS: OVERALL CONSIDERATIONS Furniture design in the Interior Design context. Necessary skills and resources.

Lecture: THE FURNITURE DESIGN PROCESS: THE SPECIFIC PIECE Lecture: PROPORTION, COMPOSITION, FORM, AND THE GRAPHICS OF WOOD

WEEK 2 Lecture: PROPERTIES OF WOOD AS MATERIAL, AND BASIC FURNITURE JOINERY Lecture: PYRAMID MARKING, AND FINISHES

SLIDES OF PAST SCREEN AND TABLE PROJECTS Lecture: MAKING SHOP DRAWINGS, AND CUTTING LIST

WEEK 3 Lecture and Demo: BENCHROOM TOOLS, BISCUIT AND DOWELLED JOINERY

Lecture and Demo: THE MACHINE ROOM: SAFE & EFFICIENT MACHINE PRACTICES, AND MILLING SOLID WOOD Bring sketch materials and questions about your individual project.

WEEK 4 DESIGN STUDIO Entire class devoted to continued development of your individual project with Individual consultations. Next class: Design Concept presentation due.

PRESENTATION OF PROJECT DESIGN CONCEPT Presentation of your project design to the class. This is purely a presentation of your project design concept. Treat this as a meeting to sell your project to your prospective client. (Us). Format for this presentation is commonly a large perspective drawing, and /or a mock-up in foam core of your design. Your presentation should be of sufficient scale to display to approx. 15 people, and include color, material samples if possible, details, and mock-up, etc. if applicable:

The objective is to be illustrative and clearly representative of the project you are proposing. You will be in front of the class for about 10 minutes, which will give you time for a short oral and visual presentation, and give us a chance to ask questions and/or make comments.

Only the design presentation is due at this time. To be able begin working in the shop next week you also have to have Full scale working drawings (hard-line shop drawings), a cut list, and your project materials.

“Proving” your design: The design concept Notebook

In addition to your project presentation to the class, you will turn in a notebook of your project concept to defend your thought process and design. In essay format articulate your design intentions and back up your thought process and points of interpretation with historical evidence and examples, including footnotes.

Visual examples of said points are also required. They should be referenced as well, and may be included by strategic placement within your text, or within a separate section.

The notebook content should be around 500 words in length, with at least 3-4 visual images (photos and/or drawings) augmenting your text.

WEEK 5 SHOP SHOP

WEEK 6 SHOP SHOP

WEEK 7 SHOP SHOP

WEEK 8 SHOP SHOP

WEEK 9 SHOP SHOP

WEEK 10 SHOP SHOP

WEEK 11 SHOP FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION: You now have your completed piece of furniture. Bring back your design presentation from Week 4. We will follow the format from week 4, but now compare and contrast your finished project in relation to your original design presentation.

REFERENCE BOOKLIST

DESIGNING FURNITURE, Seth Stem; The Taunton Press, ISBN 0-942391-02-0

JAPANESE DETAIL ARCHITECTURE, Sadoa Hibi; Chronicle Books

JAPANESE STYLE, Suzanne Slesin, Stafford Cliff, Daniel Rozensztroch; Clarkson N. Potter, Inc. N.Y.

THE UNKNOWN CRAFTSMAN, A Japanese Insight Into Beauty, Soetsu Yanagi; Kodansha International, 1984

THE BOOK OF SHAKER FURNITURE, John Kassay; Univ. of Mass. Press. 1980

AMERICAN ARTS AND CRAFTS, Virtue in Design, Los Angeles County Art Museum; Bullfinch Publishers, 1992

GREENE & GREENE: FURNITURE AND RELATED DESIGNS, Randall I. Makinson; Pagrine Smith, Inc. 1979

FURNITURE 2000, Leslie Pina Shiffer 1998

MODERN FURNITURE CLASSICS , Miriam Stimson

TWENTIETH CENTURY FURNITURE DESIGN, Sembach, Leuthauser, Goessel; Taschen 1991

MODERN FURNITURE CLASSICS SINCE 1945, Fiell, AIA, 1991

TOTAL DESIGN: OBJECTS BY ARCHITECTS, Dorothy Spencer, Chronical Books 1991

THE WRIGHT STYLE, Carla Lind, Simon & Schuster 1992

ART FOR EVERYDAY, Patricia Conway, Potter Publishing, 1990

A CABINETMAKERS NOTEBOOK, James Krenov, Sterling Books 1976

THE FINE ART OF CABINETMAKING, James Krenov, Sterling Books 1977

THE IMPRACTICAL CABINETMAKER, James Krenov, Sterling Books 1979

JAMES KRENOV WORKER IN WOOD, Van Nostrand Reinhold Books 1981

WITH WAKENED HANDS, James Krenov, Cambium Press, Linden Publishing 2000

MAKEPEACE A SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE IN CRAFT AND DESIGN, Jeremy Myerson Cross River Press 1995

FURNITURE BY WENDELL CASTLE, Taragin, Cooke Jr., Giovannini Hudson Hills Press 1989

SAM MALOOF WOODWORKER, Sam Maloof Kodonsha Press 1983

THE SOUL OF A TREE, George Nakashima Kodonsha Press 1981

STUDIO FURNITURE OF THE RENWICK GALLERY, Smithsonian Museum 2008 foxchapelpublishing.com

500 TABLES Andrew Glasgow foxchapelpublishing.com DESIGNING FURNITURE Taunton Press foxchapelpublishing.com

THE MAKERS HAND: AMERICAN STUDIO FURNITURE 1940-1990 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 2003

EXHIBITION CATALOGS (SET OF 5)THE FURNITURE SOCIETY 2002-2008 furnituresociety.org

FS2: TRADITION IN CONTEMPOROARY FURNITURE The Furniture Society 2001 furnituresociety.org

FS3: FURNITUREMAKERS EXPLORING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES The Furniture Society 2005 furnituresociety.org

FS4: FOCUS ON MATERIALS The Furniture Society 2006 furnituresociety.org

FS5: THE MEANING OF CRAFT The Furniture Society 2007 furnituresociety.org

DVD NOTE BY NOTE: THE MAKING OF STEINWAY L1037 Documentary Plow Productions 2007

DVD THE ALAN PETERS APPROACH: IN THE SHOP OF A MASTER CRAFTSMAN Rob Cosman 2007 foxchapelpublishing.com

WEBSITE/ONLINE RESOURCES

There are just soooo many. Search by mane or topic using the search engine of your choice. A very few of the many resources:

Contract Furniture/Designers FM4: The Eminent Designers fm4furniture.org/classics.htm Design within Reach dwr.com Herman Miller hermanmiller.com

Studio Furniture Galleries Northwest Fine Woodworking nwfinewoodworking.com Pritam & Eames pritameames.com

Books/Publications/DVD Taunton Press taunton.com Foxchapel Publishing foxchapelpublishing.com Peter Miller Books petermillerbooks.com

Misc. The Furniture Society furnituresociety.org

**If you require accommodation based on a documented disability, emergency medical information to share, or need special arrangements in case of emergency evacuation, please make an appointment with DSS (Disability Support Services) as soon as possible. If you would like to inquire about becoming a DSS student you may call 425.564.2498 or go in person to the DSS reception area in the Student Services Building.

MATERIAL SOURCES

Alaska Copper and Brass new metal: brass, aluminum, steel sheet, tubing, rod, etc 3223 6th Ave. S. Seattle, 206.623.5800 Mon-fri. 8-4:30

Compton Hardwoods hard woods, sheet goods, glue, dowels, finishes, magazines 3847 1st Ave. S. Seattle, 206.623.5010 mon-fri 7:30-5, sat 9-2

Crosscut Hardwoods hard woods, sheet goods, glue, dowels, finishes, magazines 4100 1st Ave. S Seattle, 206.623. 0334 mon-fri 8-5, wed 8-8, sat 9-4

Edensaw Woods (also a location in Pt. Townsend) hardwoods, veneer, etc. 8032 S. 194th Kent, 253.216.1150 mon-fri 8-5

Daly’s (main store listed below, check for others) paint, finishes, stains, patinas 3525 Stone Way N. Seattle, 206.633.4200 mon-fri 7:30-7, fri 7:30-6, sat 8-5

Daniel Smith art supplies, specialty papers 4151st Ave. S. Seattle, 206.223.9599 mon-sat 9-6, wed 9-9, sun 10-6

Cascade Art Glass art glass, glass working supplies 9003 151st Ave. NE Redmond, 425.861.8600 tues-sat 10-5:30

Pacific Iron and Metal scrap metal, salvage goods, brass, aluminum, steel sheet, tubing, rod, etc. 2230 4th Ave. S. Seattle, 206.628.6256 mon-fri 8-5:3-, sat 9-5, sun 10-5

Rockler (also a location in Southcenter) hard woods, sheet goods, glue, dowels, finishes, magazine, hinges 3823 Stone Way Ave. N. Seattle, 206.634.3222 mon-fri 9-7, sat 9-5, sun 10-5

Stone way Hardware hardware, small screws, nuts, bolts, tools, etc. 4318 Stone Way N. Seattle, 206.545.6910 mon-fri 8-7, sat 9-6, sun 10-5

Tacoma Screw (various locations) various hardware, tools, some metal

Vintage Hardware antique, hard to find hardware. 2000 Sims Way Port Townsend 360.379.9030 10-5 daily