Students turn cardboard into pleasingly practical 'box seats'

Published 04.05.2019

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    Students in building science and sustainable design (or its architectural technology concentration) present their diverse "cardboard chair" projects in the LEC on Friday morning. Front row (seated, from left): Kyle L. Bromwell, Cambridge, Md.; Tomas N. Brooks, West Chester, Melissa A. Tarhovicky, East Stroudsburg; and Jeffrey L. Sementelli, Howard. Back row (from left): Zachery Mangan, Manheim; Seth R. Henry, Wernersville; Austin C. Benham, Camp Hill; Dakotah J. Hewston, Dingmans Ferry; Danielle R. Bonis, Norwalk, Conn.; Michael Tanner Reif, Felton; Riley Ferro, Berwick; Evan J. Klinger, Bloomsburg; James J. "J.J." Heft, Montrose; Bridget A. Kranz, Patton; and Cole J. Moriarty, Winston-Salem, N.C. (Photo by Rob A. Wozniak, associate professor of architectural technology) Third-year students in Architectural Design Studio V, challenged to create fully functional chairs that hold the weight of an adult without the use of adhesives, impressively delivered on their assignment in presentations Friday morning. Four teams collaborated on the chairs, which were evaluated in the architectural jury room on such criteria as function, aesthetics and ergonomics. Corrugated cardboard was chosen as a valuable raw material, as it carries the best recycling rate of any packaging material in use. In 2015, for instance, more than 23 million tons were recovered and reused – 74 percent of all cardboard produced that year. Geoffrey M. Campbell, assistant professor of architectural technology, and Rob A. Wozniak, associate professor of architectural technology, critiqued the chairs with guest judges Melinda D. Heckman, admissions counselor; Christa Matlack, women's soccer coach; and Tom Wilson, writer/editor-PCToday. Chairs and explanatory posters could be seen in the architectural wing on the second floor of the Hager Lifelong Education Center during Spring Open House, and will be displayed in the lobby of The Gallery at Penn College during a mid-May exhibit of capstone projects by seniors in the building science and sustainable design major.

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