Although people have lived on and around cardboard for as long as it has existed, it was probably first introduced to the design world by Frank Gehry (b. 1929). The line, which is still made and sold by Vitra, consists of modern chairs and tables. Gehry’s "Wiggle Chair" contains 60 layers of corrugated cardboard and is surprisingly robust and stable. It has won many design awards, and has been included in museum shows at London's Design Museum and elsewhere.

 

Corrugated cardboard is easily one of the most widely used materials for packing and shipping goods.  In the best case scenario the cardboard boxes get broken down and recycled however a significant amount still makes its way into landfill.  Moreover, the recycling process is not sustainable as it uses large amounts of water and energy to turn the waste cardboard back into a usable material.  What if cardboard could be removed from this cycle and turned into a usable product?

 

The task was to design and construct a functional piece of furniture out of corrugated cardboard. This item was designed be sold at a furniture fair in support of student selected charities. This year's charity is the Sarcoma Cancer Foundation of Canada.  Throughout the design and construction of the furniture the students recorded their working hours on a group designed time sheet. Time was organized under headings such as Research and Development, Marketing, Manufacturing etc. The student's final report will outline how viable and worthwhile their venture was considering both the business aspect (profitability) of their furniture company as well as its potential to improve sustainability of the community at large. 

 

Bidding begins on Wednesday, January 11 at 9:00 AM and concludes Friday January 13 at 8:30 AM.  All furniture is available for viewing during school hours in the Lisgar Library.  To make a bid follow the link on the furniture page to the individual padlet.  Double click to enter your bid - all bidding starts at $5.00, please include your name, class or contact info with your bid.