The Big Move

This week DesignBuild students focused their efforts on establishing the “big move” of the U-LEAF mobile stage design that can be presented to the LEAF clients. Students were divided into groups and given the task of creating prototypes for an Asheville Design Center mobile teaching kiosk, a sandwich board for the CCCD building, or an exploration piece that could be applied to the U-LEAF, based on case studies of unfolding mechanisms and modular components.

With one sheet of 4’x8′ plywood, an 8′ 2×4, and little over a day to complete the project, the DesignBuild students developed manageable, yet creative, designs. Many of the students hoped that throughout the studio their skills in the woodshop would improve, and through this project, and the extensive facilities at AB-Tech, students expanded their knowledge of woodworking tools and got a hands-on lesson in building a design that they created themselves.

Special thanks to Heath Moody (AB-Tech), Darren Green (Old Wood Co.), and Michael Sorin (Legerton Architecture) to joining the students in the woodshop to provide feedback on the final products.

Using what they discovered in the woodshop, and the input provided by the guest critics, students could use their exploration of unfolding and modular components to further develop the design of the U-LEAF stage in studio. The students are continuing to investigate how to incorporate the concept of an unfolding leaf into a workable stage design.

This post was written by forewomen of the week Christina Booher and Caitlin Fogarty

Sandwich board constructed by DesignBuild students for the CCCD building

edit: the original post misidentified one of the mentors as Keith Hargrove instead of Mitchel Sorin.