Furniture Design E-Portfolio

FURNITURE DESIGN DTS60104 BACHELOR OF ARTS (HONS) IN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

E- PORTFOLIO NAME: JESSIE CHEN VERNERN STUDENT ID: 0339153

Projects

Assignment 1: Joineries Study (Weekly connectors & joineries sketches)

Assignment 2: Equilibrium: Finding the balance between beauty & functionality

Final Project: Invisible Cities

Assignment 1: Joineries Study (Weekly connectors & joineries sketches)

“

” NAME: JESSIE CHEN VERNERN STUDENT ID: 0339153

“

”

NAME: JESSIE CHEN VERNERN STUDENT ID: 0339153

“

” NAME: JESSIE CHEN VERNERN STUDENT ID: 0339153

“

” NAME: JESSIE CHEN VERNERN STUDENT ID: 0339153

“

” NAME: JESSIE CHEN VERNERN STUDENT ID: 0339153

Assignment 2: Equilibrium: Finding the balance between beauty & functionality

WALL SHELVE + TABLE DOUBLES AS A STUDY TABLE AND STORAGE UNIT

DELIVER TO YOUR DOORSTEP

BRACING TO OVERCOME LATERAL FORCES

SECTION

PLAN ELEVATION

PINE LAMINATE

TIMELESS CASUAL ELEGANT

Assembly

Development

TARGET USERS: RENTAL HOUSE TENANTS STUDENTS PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONE SMALL SPACES INHABITANTS

OAK LAMINATE

WHITE GRAIN LAMINATE

THE SLOT

YOUR COMFORT WORKPLACE!

TABLETOP: MDF BRACING: STAINLESS STEEL SHELVING:MDF

SLOT IT IN

La fénte

SELECT SLOT PUSH REMOVE

PANELS ARE CHAMFERED FOR USER SAFETY JANE YONG SIN YII 0338792 X JESSIE CHEN VERNERN 0339153

Final Project: Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

OCTAVIA THE INVISBLE CITIES BY ITALO CALVINO

F U R N I T U R E

4 - 2 0 2 1

D E S I G N

S E M E S T E R

D T S 6 0 1 0 4

A STORY FROM MY IMAGINATION THROUGH SKETCH, MODEL AND IMAGES

"People in Octavia live less uncertainly than other people do. They know their net won’t last forever." - Marco Polo

JESSIE

CHEN VERNERN 0339153

1

Chapter 1

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

"Octavia through my eyes"

2

PG 3-11

Chapter 2 "Death is ahead but what

PG 12-18

can we do?"

3

Chapter 3 "I see a glimpse of hope beyond the clouds, can you?"

PG 19-22

CHAPTER 1 "Octavia through my eyes"

Once upon a time, in a far away city above the lands and the clouds....There was a city hanging above all, in between mountains which was once known as....

P A G E

4

Octavia Thin Cities 5

PROLOGUE Marco Polo explains how Octavia was made. It sits over the void between two mountains, with ropes, chains, and catwalks. There’s nothing to see below. Under the city is a giant net. People in Octavia live less uncertainly than other people do. They know their net won’t last forever.

THE STORY There is a precipice between two steep mountains: the city is over the void, bound to the two crests with ropes and chains and catwalks. You walk on the little wooden ties, careful not to set your foot in the open spaces, or you cling to the hempen strands. Below there is nothing for hundreds and hundreds of feet: a few clouds glide past; farther down you can glimpse the chasm’s bed.

This is the foundation of the city: a net which serves as passage and as support. All the rest, instead of rising up, is hung below: rope ladders, hammocks, houses made like sacks, clothes hangers, terraces like gondolas, skins of water, gas jets, spits, baskets on strings, dumb-waiters, showers, trapezes and rings for children’s games, cable cars, chandeliers, pots with trailing plants.

Suspended over the abyss, the life of Octavia’s inhabitants is less uncertain than in other cities. They know the net will last only so long.

KEYWORDS

Net

Two mountains

Ropes

Void

Strings Ladders

Octavia is a clear indicator that in Calvino’s understanding, nothing of human civilization can last forever.

Octavia just has a leg up over other cities or empires because it knows full well that it’s going to collapse one day.

Inspiration sket ches

P A G E

5

Insider-View of Octavia Two mountains

Climate

Windy

Cloudy

Sunny

Architecture materials

Hut houses Stones

Wood

Ropes

Wooden walkway Ladders Hanging mini hut

Ropes for Trapeze or climb up

Soil

Old Scrap Metals

The hut houses or buildings that are above are mainly owned by villagers that are nobel and high status. The bigger buildings are public spaces like bakeries, groceries, schools, council offices etc. The ones hang below, are the lower class people in Octavia.

BELOW

Net

Everything down here, is unstable as people from above treat people below badly, throwing old items down and make lots of damages on the hanging houses or sacks... Belowers always question, what can we do if one day we really fall?

Swing rope Hanging Ladders

Sacks, hanging houses

P A G E

6

My Imagination COLLAGE VER.

Dystopian Steampunk style houses & era

P A G E

7

The Life of Octavians BREAK DOWN PARTS DEVLOPMENT SKETCHES UPPER PART OF OCTAVIA Hut houses

mountains

mountains

Net Wooden walkway

Ropes for Trapeze or climb up Hanging mini hut

Sleeping Sacks

Ladders

LOWER PART OF OCTAVIA

Net

pathway

Hanger made trapeze or zipline

Full timber platform, wall, doors & window Climbing ,swinging supplies

Personal entrance for their maid or relatives from below

Sack sleeping pod made of old cloth or net Rope

The timber are from the mountains & forests, people above are rich enough to pay their servants to hike and look for supplies.

Foldable & detachable ladder

Scrap metal with a mixture of recyclable materials

The materials used are old stuff that got thrown below

P A G E

8

Attempt 1 CITY MODEL materials

Cardboard

Strings

Ms.Suzy

Brown Paper

Nails

Tools

ts Commen

One

Top View

Two Three Jessie

ll work Okie, wi on it !!

Day front view Night front view Bottom view

P A G E

9

Attempt 2 CITY MODEL Fun Fact- I used cornstarch as a glue and soak the brown paper into the solution which makes it look soft and soggy for me to shape the mountains easily

Fron t Da y Vi ew

del Final Mo

Top View

Shadow of Octa via Scary Night View

Front Night View

P A G E

1 0

Are we really going to crash and fall, disappear and long gone from the world we know, yet no one is here to make a difference ?

P A G E

1 1

CHAPTER 2 "Death is ahead but what can we do?"

What to do if the city falls?

What can we create or build for a backup plan?

INSPIRATION SKETCH

THINGS TO CONSIDER...

IDEA 1

Should we build something to strengthen the structure of our city?

Reconstruct our city using a lightweight materials?

Think of an escape plan?

Build a device to protect us when we fall?

Accept our fate & fall?

Hold on to the net till our very last breath?

IDEA 2

Let's think of something light and simple for all villagers to build..

I think it might be a little too big for us to build it? I am not sure if we have the materials?

P A G E

1 3

How about an Escape Plan?

Stage 1Hammock Chair We w

Blow up balloon

ill think of a good name alo ng the w ay...

Reference

Methods & position to use the hammock net

Can't wait to see the development of this Hammock Chair

ts Commen

Jessie

1 4

One Two

!! rk on it o w 's t Okie, le P A G E

Ms.Suzy

How about an Escape Plan?

THE X-CAPE Meaning:

Front View

X = Undefine , consist of more than 1 usage X-scape = Escape

Using strings or rope to hand on to the net

Side Shield/Blinds Side View

Adjustable & modifiable net

STORAGE

Pulley System

SLEEP

I am glad that this device is multipurpose.

CHILL

Pull

Pull SWING

P A G E

1 5

What can this do when it falls?

The moment it falls, this will pump u p by the wind and turn into an escape balloon

Old cloth / fabric connected together

Foldable structure

ESCAPE

P A G E

1 6

This works as an escape balloon for survival when Octavia falls, they could use this to fly to the mountains or near by cities for help

Attempt 1 DEVICE MODEL materials

Mini test 1

Cardboard

Strings

Ms.Suzy

Brown Paper

Metal Wire

w Side Vie

ts Commen

Tools

One Two Three Jessie

ll work Okie, wi on it !!

Close-Up View

w Side Vie

Top View Front View P A G E

1 7

Front View

THE X-CAPE

Attempt 2 DEVICE MODEL Shadow Sitting

Shield

Version Figurine

Sitting

Storage

w Dark Vie

Final Model Side shield View

P A G E

1 8

Day View

lley Up-pu Close

CHAPTER 3 "I see a glimpse of hope beyond the clouds, can you?"

Thank You for helping us think My pleasure, I am glad I get to work with Octavia and the villagers on this project.

of a backup plan, Jessie !

Octavians are not sure how long more Octavia is gonna hold on, but one thing for sure, they live every moment as their last and preparing themselves for the day , but if it happens, they know for sure that they will be....

P A G E

2 0

Forever floating in a place , full of beauty ... whimsy... & of wonder ...

P A G E

2 1

- THE END -

OCTAVIA THE INVISBLE CITIES BY ITALO CALVINO A STORY FROM MY IMAGINATION THROUGH SKETCH, MODEL AND IMAGES

"People in Octavia live less uncertainly than other people do. They know their net won’t last forever." - Marco Polo

Octavia, the spider-web city, is made. There is a precipice between two steep mountains: the city is over the void, bound to the two crests with ropes and chains and catwalks. You walk on the little wooden ties, careful not to set your foot in the open spaces, or you cling to the hempen strands. Below there is nothing for hundreds and hundreds of feet: a few clouds glide past; farther down you can glimpse the chasm's bed.

INVISIBLE

CITIES

BY

ITALO

CAVINO

ITALO CALVINO ( 15 OCTOBER 1923 – 19 SEPTEMBER 1985) WAS AN ITALIAN WRITER AND JOURNALIST. HIS BEST KNOWN WORKS INCLUDE THE OUR ANCESTORS TRILOGY (1952– 1959), THE COSMICOMICS COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES (1965), AND THE NOVELS INVISIBLE CITIES (1972) AND IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT A TRAVELER (1979).

ILLUSTRATIONS

&

SKETCHES

BY

JESSIE

CHEN

VERNERN

2021

REFLECTION Throughout the 14 weeks of Furniture Design, I learned a lot of detailed process, design thinking, production etc. In project 1, we are tasked to draw 5 object sketches according to weekly themes every week , up to Week 8. Through this project, it had taught me that each furniture design drawing needs to focus on the way the connectors move and how it is being assembled in details & specifications. I also learned about material usage and joinery types while producing the drawings. In project 2, it is a industry collaboration project with Bold Diseno, we are required to design a panel-based furniture. Designs must be according to the manufacture’s requirement that includes materials, budgeting and the capability of the factory’s machines. From this project, it was an eye opening experience for me to see how a furniture is being produced from just a few simple sketches to technical drawing to virtual model making to joinery types to material selection to budgeting to factory production through all kinds of different machines with different usage then to marketing, to packaging and lastly the user experience. Project 3 which is the final project, we are required to read through the novel- Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino then pick out a city out of the 55 cities. After selecting the ideal city, we are required to sketch out our understanding of the city elements, such as the environment of the city, the people, the era/period, the theme etc. Once we get a understanding and background of the city, we can proceed with the furniture/device ideation process, what can we design out of the inspiration by the city, what does the people need in the city. Then according to that, we develop our process through sketches, model making using cardboard & other recyclable materials, and the model making process is needed to be filmed step by step and make a time lapse video. Once done with model making process, we are then required to produce an e-booklet regarding our city of choice, background stories and environment then proceed with sketches and model making process with a story line. This project was a very fun and interesting project to do as we get to learn and experience each process of furniture design making by treating the city and the people in the city we choose as our client to invent and create a furniture for their comfort and daily usage.