ID students take recycling sitting down
By Jamie Woods
Taking the "green" message of the international Solar Decathlon competition to heart, Adam Otlewski, Gina Kruetzcamp and Brett Albert are designing custom chairs and a dining set made of recycled materials. The group wanted to create furniture pieces for the solar house that were based on sustainable living and eco-consciousness. The industrial design students considered seeking donations, designing and constructing their own pieces, purchasing bargain furniture or refinishing used chairs.
With a budget of exactly zero dollars and a time frame of only 10 weeks, the group opted to purchase thrift store chairs and re-work them into one-of-a-kind pieces using scrap materials. "We bought everything ourselves," said Otlweski. "At the very end we got $100 for the yarn and $50 to rent the knitting machine."
The designers drew inspiration from modern and baroque style. They incorporated theses styles with natural woods and fabrics to reflect an eco-friendly theme. They also looked at Droog Design, a Dutch design movement that began in the 1990s, which emphasizes a clear spirit.
The group also experimented with different re-furbishing techniques. They tried felt-scrap slipcovers and incorporating different types of chairs using the same color paint. Eventually they stumbled upon a very unconventional method.
Using industrial knitting machines and the expertise of DAAP fashion design Adjunct Assistant Professor Ruth Burbank, the designers learned different knitting techniques to cover the chairs' wooden frames. Burbank, who was out of town on a ski vacation during most of the process, rented the machines to the students and provided instructions via mobile phone.
Once the knit coverings were completed, the ID team had to attach them to the wood using a staple gun because of the visual impact of the unlikely combination. "There's nothing else quite like it," said Otlewski. "The play of the soft, knit material upholstered onto the wood is visually unexpected for something structural like a chair."
In addition to knitting the chair coverings, the three also needed to re-finish the wood. They used natural wax, black enamel and white latex to seal the wood after some attempts to cover the knit strips in plaster. "The plaster was a first attempt to create an interesting texture, but it didn't look at all like we hoped," says Otlweski. "We were attempting to dip strips of ripped up sweater in plaster to adhere to the chair when one of my classmates said, 'Why don't you just knit a cover for the chair and leave it soft?' "
The students also developed another model chair using parts from thrift store sweaters. The designers cut the sweater in pattern pieces so they could figure out how to attach the pieces to the chairs and determine the best direction for the ribbing. Once theses details were figured out, the frame of the chair was covered and a seat cushion was made out of a matching linen fabric. The result is an elegant and original furniture piece.
"People are very fascinated by it and the way the knit ribs follow the contours of the chairs," says Otlewski. "It's quite sophisticated." In fact, each chair contains two and a half pounds of Caron-worsted weight, off-white yarn, which adds a simple, stylish touch to these once shabby pieces.
In addition to the six chairs, the group plans to build a coordinating table that would include a knit pattern laser-cut into its veneer top. To keep it functional, they'll leave the knit fabric off the table itself.
Decathlon details: The Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon consists of 10 contests to determine which team can design, construct and operate the most attractive and energy-efficient home powered solely by the sun. While furniture design is not one of the official decathlon contests, the team hopes its efforts will help set them apart from the other 19 contending schools.
The decathlon contests where furniture design will play the largest roles are Market Viability and Comfort Zone. An important objective of the Solar Decathlon is to prove that homes containing solar and energy-efficient design and technologies are not only market-ready, but also fit into the world's diverse neighborhoods. By using comfortable, interesting and unique furniture that is also eco-friendly, the UC team hopes to increase the desirability of their home in the market place.
Design plays a critical role in the Solar Decathlon and has long been an essential part of deciding what makes a good home. "Good design becomes more challenging as the building industry strives to integrate existing ideas and technologies with an increasing array of new ideas and technologies, many of which are just being introduced," says Otlewski. "Whether a house is a 'good house' may be qualified by the architect who designs it, the engineer who optimizes its performance, the builder who constructs it or the occupant who lives and works in it."
The house, which is being built on UC's campus green, will be taken to the National Mall in Washington DC for official judging Oct. 17. All of the houses will be on display in the "solar village" Oct. 12-20. Touring hours and more information about the decathlon and its sponsors can be found at solardecathlon.org.
You can also check out UC's journalism program's work with the project, including photos, pod casts and features at ucsolardecathlon.blogspot.com.
