Cardboard Chair Design Challenge

OVERVIEW
Corrugated cardboard, made from a natural renewable resource, has one of the best environmental records. In 2002, more than 23 million tons of corrugated cardboard were recovered and recycled in the US – that is 74% of all cardboard produced in the same year. Cardboard has the best recycling rate of any packaging material used today. A hard look at every scrap of cardboard can lead the creative mind to see it as a valuable raw material. This is your opportunity to discover the potential of corrugated cardboard.

Design a chair! This activity asks you to design and build a full-sized chair from corrugated cardboard. The chair must support a pre-determined weight that is selected by the team for at least 5 minutes. The person seated will be in a “comfortable” position with his / her back leaning against the back of the chair. Students will get an opportunity to learn about paper and cardboard as a building material and the statics and dynamics of structures. This design challenge is designed to encourage and reward excellence in design that integrates function (does the chair work); aesthetics (is it pleasing to the eye); ergonomics (is it comfortable for the average person); details (are my drawings and actual construction accurate); and fun.

Watch this video:
http://www.weston.org/schools/ms/ditc/designTasks/cChair/keyConcepts/index.html

Check out these designs:
Cardboard Chair | The Annual Children’s Review – RISD | Industrial Design
20 inspirational designs made from cardboard « Ponoko – Blog
http://www.teachersdomain.org/asset/phy03_vid_zchair/

Objective:
Create a fully functional cardboard chair that holds the weight of an adult without the use of adhesives of any kind.

Steps:

1. Watch the videos and look up examples of chairs. 
   
2. Start the brainstorming process of creating a unique chair with cardboard
   
3. Understand the proper use of the materials
   
4. Create three methods for attaching cardboard without glue
   
5. Create a small model of the chair 
   
6. Create the full size chair that supports the weight of a person
   
7. Document the process of creating the chair in a video or slideshow

---

Materials:
Cardboard
Ruler
Mat Knife

Cardboard Chair Lesson Presentation