About the project
Development of prototypes of a "homebase" made of cardboard
In times of the corona pandemic, the topic of working from home is particularly topical and also requires us to question the spatial conditions in our own homes. A total of 17 design results from the Building Materials Technology - Advanced course in the 2020 summer semester are documented here.
The task was to develop a space-creating piece of desk furniture, similar to a secretary desk, on a very small footprint and with limited resources. The needs of a small home office workplace were to be scrutinized in terms of ergonomics, privacy and glare protection and spatial demarcation. The piece of furniture was to be developed from existing cardboard honeycomb panels. It was also possible to use cardboard tubes as scraps of plotter paper. Connections were only permitted as plug-in or adhesive connections. A desk chair provided can complete the object, or the seat is integrated.
The seminar was divided into three parts and worked on individually. In the first theoretical part, the task was examined by means of short presentations. In the second, conceptual part, the design was developed and finally presented by means of a model and poster. In the third part, the drafts were deepened and fully documented until they were ready for construction, as a joint implementation in the laboratory on a 1:1 scale was not possible due to the pandemic situation prevailing in summer 2020 and the associated university closure. The aim is to implement the designs accordingly, but this will have to be coordinated at a later date.
The aim of this practical course was to raise awareness of cardboard as a material, acquire design skills and develop concepts for the changing world of work.
