spring 2008
ARC 351R/381R:
Wood Design
Instructor:
Mark Macek
The wood shop begins as a place to solve technical problems. Students will commit to a crash course in woodworking methods including posture and movement of the body on a variety of power tools and hand tools. Safety will be a primary concern every day. Students will be sharpening tools, lifting lumber, operating machines, and getting glue and dust on their clothes. Other materials will be taught, if there is serious interest. Also, the class will visit local studios to meet the people who turn architectural drawings into functioning pieces, the skilled people who solve architects' technical problems.
The physical act of construction leads to a discussion of quality, intention, and craft. It is not easy to produce accurate results by hand. In an age of refined industrial production and computer-mediated techniques, what does handcraft teach us as designers? What does it mean to us personally as craftspeople? Students will be expected to care about their work, to engage our discussions, and to provide reasoning for design decisions and for choices of technique.
This emphasis on materiality and skill affects the design process. The aim is to bring decision making to an even smaller level, to bring our minds and bodies even closer to our designs. Understanding a specific medium frees the maker/designer from predictable results. Involvement in the making allows spontaneity of decisions, improvisation with the language of construction. Designs can and will change while we build.
During the first five weeks, students will complete daily wood construction assignments to gain a repertoire of techniques and strategies. For one week we will experiment with the engineering properties of several wood species, and compare their characteristics. This will be followed by a short design assignment.
The remainder of the course will be furniture design and fabrication, with each student focusing on a single project to be completed by the end of the semester. We will have intermediate critiques and participate in final reviews. Individual projects besides furniture will be supported.