Flat-Pack Furniture Design for Teens

Bending represents a dramatic departure from most traditional fine woodworking. Rather than working with rectilinear geometry, artists lean into the materiality of the wood and explore its natural strengths through curvature. Reference faces are often non-existent, so joinery requires some creative thinking and novel use of machinery and hand tools. In this innovative workshop that bridges woodworking and digital fabrication, we utilize the CNC Router to fabricate jigs and molds for bending and cutting joinery. Basic drawing techniques in Rhinoceros 3-D are introduced as students design and prototype a project unique to their personal style.

In this week-long class, students learn basic basket weaving techniques and apply them to making experimental sculptural forms, structures and vessels. The class begins with sampler pieces and moves onto small scale weaving projects. Surface treatments such as dyeing, painting, spraying painting, and adding other mediums to our baskets are discussed, demonstrated, and highly encouraged. The emphasis is on learning a variety of basic basketry techniques and using them experimentally to build sculptural forms. Bring your wild ideas and creative brain.

In this workshop, students start by building a classic Windsor chair with hand tools. Class discussions cover the principles of chair design and construction, and students are encouraged to build a stool, bench, or sculptural form of their own design alongside their classic side chair. We cover a variety of approaches to seating design including maquettes, drafting, and digital drawing. Prior experience with turning or hand tools will be helpful but not necessary.