Contract Magazine - May 2019 - 92

THE ICFF ISSUE

At the Fashion Institute of Technology's booth,
images will slip between and over a gridded
shelving system, intended to house and frame a
collection of objects and textiles (left). This
maple and leather sling chair, designed by
Thomas Wise-Ehlers, a recent architecture
graduate from the University of Arkansas, will
be on display at ICFF (middle). This lamp,
designed by University of Iowa student Griffin
McEniry, will be on display at the school's ICFF
booth (right).

Fashion Institute of Technology

University of Arkansas

University of Iowa

The Fashion Institute of Technology's (FIT) team
The University of Arkansas booth will showcase
This year for ICFF, the University of Iowa will create a
proposal for ICFF, titled "Frame Work," is aimed
work produced solely by undergraduate students
photoshoot area for furniture, lighting, and products
at paying equal attention to the exhibited objects
from the three disciplines in its Fay Jones School of
designed and fabricated by the students.
individually as well as the ensemble of designs. "Our
Architecture + Design: interior design, architecture,
"By emulating a photo booth, we hope to create
intent is to create an environment rather than a display and landscape architecture.
an inviting environment that encourages visitors to
of disparate objects," says Suzanne Lettieri, partner
"The studio was designed around three
interact and take photos of the objects," says Monica
at JE-LE, and assistant professor, interior design,
primary goals: gaining a depth of material knowledge,
Correia, professor of 3D Design. "In the process of
Fashion Institute of Technology.
approaching ethics in craft and making, and designing designing, students make bold choices by
The booth will exhibit work from a combination
for the human body," says Cory Olsen, visiting
experimenting with different technologies, methods,
of students and alumni from a range of departments
assistant professor of interior design, University
and materials to produce unique and innovative
across FIT, including interior design, fashion, fine arts,
of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Fay Jones School
designs. We want to extend the experimentation with
and visual presentation and exhibit design. The project of Architecture + Design.
the completed objects by exploring their interaction
is an interactive chroma-keyed environment that
The semester culminated in each student
with bold backgrounds."
frames physical artifacts and allows for the digital
designing and crafting their own chair for reading, built
The University of Iowa team will create these
collaging of a limitless number of graphics. Images slip specifically for their body and their comfort. "Through backgrounds with intense pops of saturated colors
between and over a gridded shelving system, intended readings, precedent studies, and built exercises we
and basic geometry. "Students are interested in
to house and frame a collection of designed objects
challenged our understanding of ergonomics and
the study of color and how it affects the user, so we
and textiles.
comfort," Olsen says. "We fabricated our own adjustable will also observe user preferences, reactions, and
To help guide the collection of included pieces
chair fitting jigs to do full-scale testing of different
interaction with shape and color," Correia says.
the team also created the micro theme, "An Incomplete geometries across a range of user percentiles."
"The student's designs will be highlighted as the main
Dinner Party." The incompleteness is intended to
There was an additional focus on an ethic of
elements of the booth, and we hope that inviting
allow the visitor to imagine alternate versions in which making in wood. Each student was required to mill
an audience to participate in our booth will enhance
additional pieces are added and an environment is
rough lumber from a variety of hardwood and softwood
their experience and the perception of our work."
substituted. The blue framework and background are
species and use those surfaced materials in smaller
The booth will showcase graduate and
painted blue in order to serve as a chroma-keyed blue
scale exercises. They sharpened their own hand tools
undergraduate work that was developed and produced
screen, allowing for the substitution of backgrounds
and did operations with chisels, spokeshaves, and
with a variety of digital technologies and handmade
that complement the individual team members'
planes. "I believe that building a haptic understanding
techniques, including furniture, lamps and small
design work.
of the material in hand will make them more competent objects.
"My hope for this generation of designers
designers and makers once they make the jump to
"The design world is always evolving with
is to remain curious," Lettieri says. "As we become
larger power tools and CNC outputs," Olsen says. While
changes in technology and consumer needs," Correia
increasingly digital in our production processes,
the sutdent's ICFF exhibit will show some CNC work
says. "But this generation will need to take e-commerce
designers need to invent new ways to collaborate
and steel fabrication, the primary focus will be working very seriously. Comfort, function, technology, and
with the digital platforms rather than take the output
with wood and executing at a high level of craft.
sustainability are crucial elements in the design
of software as a given. A more conventional way
"As exhibitors it is an amazing opportunity for the
process and should be critically addressed to respond
of looking at technology is to use it merely as a tool
student work to be seen by an international audience
to the needs dictated by the new generation of buyers."
to make a process more efficient, easier, or expedient,
alongside other great design programs," Olsen says.
but we need to remain critical and continuously
"Beyond showing their individual work, attending ICFF
question the why of the method, for who the project
is a chance for the students to learn about new
serves, and how a project is created."
manufacturers and makers, see a range of furniture
across many scales and styles, and meet potential
future employers or industry partners."

92

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