UL Çàɬֱ²¥ Industrial Design students Andrew Rudolph of Miami, Fla. and Travis Withers of Morse were selected as finalists in the fourth annual AIAS/ICPF Chair Affair Çàɬֱ²¥ Design Competition.
The AIA Convention and Design Exposition was held in San Antonio last month. The six finalists’ chairs, selected from more than 170 entries submitted by teams or individuals, represented 56 schools and were displayed in the AIAS Çàɬֱ²¥ Lounge and Gallery in San Antonio. Rudolph and Withers will split the $1,000 third place prize and donate $200 to the university’s AIAS chapter.
The competition is sponsored by the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF) and managed by the American Institute of Architecture Çàɬֱ²¥s (AIAS). The Chair Affair program challenges students, working individually or in teams, to explore a variety of uses of corrugated cardboard in design and construction. Participants were required to design a "chair" using corrugated cardboard and glue. The Chair Affair’s definition of a chair is anything that elevates a user of an undetermined size off the ground comfortably for an extended period of time.
The objectives of the competition were to encourage and reward excellence in design that integrates function, aesthetics, structure, ergonomics, details and fun. The Chair Affair also offers students the opportunity to learn more about the corrugated packaging industry and the many careers available for architecture, design, and graphic arts students.
The winning teams included Nicholette Chan, Andrew Kim and Jean You, Cornell University (first place, $2,500); Cem Sinan Kayatekin, Auburn University (second place, $1,500); and Rudolph and Withers.
Jurors for the competition included Wayne Drummond, FAIA, dean of the College of Architecture at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Glenn Fellows, AIA, principal with SMPC Architects; and Jaclyn S. Toole, associate AIA from Bernardon Haber Holloway Architects.