Surveying the full breadth of the field of Furniture Design and Making, from the most mundane product to the most sophisticated. From the high concept-driven one-off to opportunities presented through state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, capstone studio design students began the semester’s work by identifying a specific product typology or need as the conceptual foundation for their individual focus for the project. Whether innovating a new approach to an existing furniture category or reinterpreting an established design icon, projects are defined through a specific design narrative. The narrative of the project articulates the origin story behind the design and also contextualizes where the work connects to the world of design beyond the classroom.

Included in the initial concept development and building upon the lessons from sustainable practices (FALL’21), this semester Furniture Studio acknowledges the impact of seeing the products we create, from a more responsible perspective. The Pratt Sustainability Center (PSC) identifies 7 approaches to address the profligate damage caused by human civilization, including impacts from furniture design and development. These approaches include Innovation, Low-Impact Materials, Optimized Manufacturing, Efficient Distribution, Low-Impact Use, Optimized Lifetime, and Optimized End-of-Life. Further detailing these approaches, the PSC lists a variety of specific strategies that designers can employ to inform and positively impact the entire life cycle of a product, from inception through production, use, and end-of-life. By incorporating multiple sustainable strategies into the development of a product, strategies mesh together to create a sustainable system, the goal of sustainable design. Approaching the design and development process with this additional perspective, students touch upon the specific opportunities latent in the creative process.

As designers, we have an obligation to comprehend the ramifications of our design decisions and to put our best intentions forward to mitigate the destructive impacts of the things we create. Incorporating the strategic insights provided by Pratt’s Sustainability Center, students have conceptualized and developed an original furniture product/system. By using various sustainable strategies to positively impact the choices made throughout the design process, the student’s work serves not only the creative requirement but also the social responsibility to do better with the opportunities we are given. With awareness, the results move toward a more sustainable method and a deeper respect for our limited earth.

Many people living in or near New York City experience living in temporary homes where space is limited. For this semester’s project, I am inspired by my surroundings living in Brooklyn as a current student transitioning to a full-time career.

My intention was to create a piece of furniture that suits my current and future needs. This piece is versatile in its ability to adapt to many situations ensuring that it can travel with its user through time and life changes. Its modular, and reconfigurable elements provide freedom in arranging your home’s decor. Niveles is a couch designed to exist in a contemporary space and adapt to people’s needs at different moments in time. Niveles means levels in Spanish which is my first language and my family’s native language. This name represents the asymmetry in this couch as well as the different stages of life as this piece is meant to live with its user through time.

This couch pulls apart into three sections to create alternate ways of arrangement, featuring white linen cushions and walnut framing. This piece includes built-in functions such as a desk, tray table, coffee table that flips into an ottoman, a book display case, and two storage spaces. These functions maximize the upholstered forms and enhance the user’s experience. I wanted to create a piece of furniture that suits my needs as a young person living in a transitional space. For me, living in new york means that space-saving furniture is crucial. Storage spaces are always necessary and having multiple functions in a piece of furniture facilitates everyday tasks. For this reason, I wanted to make sure I did not create volumes in a heavily upholstered piece of furniture that did not have a purpose or function.

After coming close to achieving the final design of this multifunctional piece, I created Rhino models to visualize this design three-dimensionally and understand the scale of the couch as well as the functionality. I then proceeded to finalize the dimensions and recreate the interior structure as of the model in order to understand how much material to get as well as how to cut the wood.

I decided to use poplar frames as opposed to plywood planks as it is a more sustainable alternative to plywood and achieves the same structure while keeping this piece lighter weight.

In order to create a piece of furniture that can stay with someone for a lifetime and be passed down through generations, my strategy was:

Timeless design: by using a light-colored linen fabric in combination with walnut framing. White linen is one of the most sustainable textiles and comes from flax. The specific linen fabric used on Niveles is 100% linen and has no synthetic fibers. The white color allows for the fabric to be bleachable in case of a stain.

Versatility: This furniture piece can be arranged in different ways to adapt to new spaces and moves. In a smaller space, it can all join together to become a compact couch. The couch can be pulled apart to create two separate seatings. A coffee table rolls out of the bottom of one of the seats and if needed, the top can be flipped to create an ottoman that provides extra seating or space to stretch your legs.

Multifunctional: This couch has many built-in components that can enhance a person's experience while being on this couch. There is a small tray table to the left that can be used for doing computer work or as a hard surface to place food on. There is a lot of storage space built into this piece that will make this the perfect couch for any small apartment.

Durability: well-made construction, supports, and well fastened but also transportable in separate parts. The linen is bleachable and the couch is re-upholsterable if necessary.