Virginia Tech Industrial Design Students

Virginia Tech’s industrial design booth at this year’s fair may have been smaller than those of its peers and perhaps more earnest than clever. But its cerebral approach earned it the Best Design School category in the ICFF Awards on May 18. The school students won for their “breakthrough design and construction of a solar […]

Virginia Tech’s industrial design booth at this year’s fair may have been smaller than those of its peers and perhaps more earnest than clever. But its cerebral approach earned it the Best Design School category in the ICFF Awards on May 18.

The school students won for their “breakthrough design and construction of a solar house, which may bring on whole new way of thinking about our home furnishings,” said Susan S. Szenasy, one of the judges and Metropolis editor in chief. The exhibit was also accompanied by a documentary video of the architecture, engineering, and industrial design students’ collaborative work to build the house which they adapted for their ICFF booth.

There something pleasing about the shape of Virginia Tech student Clay Moulton’s zipped-up sling chair: It’s like a leather butterfly.

Name: Leather Sling Chair
Designer: Clay Moulton
Materials: leather and metal

Farrill’s lace-up rubber seat was inspired by work with industrial belting material.

Name: Rubber lounge chair
Designer: Collin Farill
Material: rubber

Nicholas Macke has given new life to an innertube—from river runner to armchair—with a minimum of fuss.

Name: Tube Chair
Designer: Nicholas Macke
Material: innertube

One of the themes of the Virginia Tech booth is simplicity and student Steve Sanderson’s carpet stool, made from stacked carpet squares, is a fine example.

Name: Carpet Stool
Designer: Steve Sanderson
Material: carpet squares, metal

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