Accessibility, universal design, human factors, and ergono
Table of Contents
Preface xiii
Acknowledgments xvii
Foreword xix
Foreword to the First Edition xxi
Chapter 1 Introduction to Furniture Design 1
Furniture 2
Design 8
Furniture + Design + (X) = Furniture Design 10
Data Visualization: Mapping Data from Research 12
Chapter 2 Function and Social Use 19
Human Body Supports 20
Sitting, Working, Resting, and Sleeping 20
Squatting and Sitting 23
Activities: Eating, Reading, Typing, and Writing 25
Containing: Storing, Displaying, and Organizing 27
Defining Space: Enclosing, Shaping, and Partitioning 28
Classifications Based on Social Use 29
Health-care Furniture: For Those Who Need Assistance 30
Hospitality Furniture: Restaurants, Lobbies, and Reception Areas 32
Institutional Furniture: Education 34
Multifunctional Furniture: Sit-Work, Sit-Sleep, and Store-Display 35
Office Furniture: Ergonomic Seating, Workstations, and Systems Furniture 37
Recreational Furniture: Play, Leisure, and Outdoor Furnishings 38
Religious (Liturgical) Furniture: Altars, Arks, and Minbars 40
Residential Furniture: Social Gathering, Resting, Dining, and Organizing 43
Retail Furniture: Displaying, Storing, Transactions, and Sales 46
Storage Furniture: Containing, Organizing, and Accessing 47
Chapter 3 Form, Spatial Organization, and Typological Orders 51
Form 51
Angular 56
Composite 56
Curvilinear 57
Orthogonal 58
Sectional/Modular 58
Spatial Organization 60
Centralized 61
Clustered 62
Grids 63
Linear 64
Radial 65
Typological Orders 66
Assembly Required (Ready-to-Assemble and Knock-Down) 66
Built-In/Stationary 67
Freestanding 67
Inflatable 68
Mechanical (Transformative Pieces) 69
Movable 72
Summary 74
Chapter 4 Furniture Case Studies 75
Overview of Furniture Case Studies 75
700–400 BCE Greek Klismos chair 76
1200–1800 CE European coffer 78
1745–1750 French Rococo commode 80
1754–1780 Chippendale chair 82
1855–1859 Café chair, Model No. 14 84
1917–1918 Red-Blue chair 86
1922 Blocs Screen 88
1925 Wassily club chair, Model No. B301 90
1928 Siège à Dossier Basculant (B301) 92
1932–1933 Stools 60/65 94
1949–1950 Eames Storage Unit (ESU) 96
1950–1954 Antony chair 98
1951 Wire side chair 100
1968 Action Office 102
1987 Ghost chair 104
1992 Cross Check armchair 106
1993 Trinidad chair 108
1994 Living units 110
1994–1995 Aeron chair 112
1999 The Block 114
2000 Pathways 116
2003–2004 Jimmy’s Buffet 118
2004 Knit chair 120
2006 Araneae coffee table 122
2011 Modular Vitrine System 124
Lessons from the 25 Furniture Case Studies 126
Chapter 5 Furniture Design Theory 129
Inquiry 129
Systems Theory 131
Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas 133
Firmitas 133
Utilitas 137
Anthropometrics 139
General Body Characteristics and Dimensions 141
Ergonomics 142
Posture 145
Proxemics 147
Venustas 150
Beauty 150
Geometry 152
Proportion 152
Modernism 154
Built Form and Culture 155
New Formalism: Theories of Digital Form 158
Chapter 6 Design 161
Design Principles 163
Balance: Structural and Visual, Symmetry and Asymmetry 163
Continuity, Unity, and Variety 165
Dynamism and Stasis 165
Hierarchy and Emphasis 165
Juxtaposition 167
Rhythm and Pattern 167
Scale and Proportion 168
Design Thinking 171
Construing and Constructing 172
Bold Studies 172
Making Prototypes 174
Scaled Models 175
Design Ethos 177
Accessible Design 177
Codes, Guidelines, and Standards (Health, Safety, and Welfare) 177
Green Design 178
Universal Design 181
Design Processes 182
Schematics: Sketching, Drawing, Computer Rendering, and Model Making 182
Design Phases 190
Predesign, Research, and Programming 190
Schematic Design 192
Design Development 192
Fabrication Drawings 193
Pricing and Contract Negotiation 194
Shop Drawings, Templates, and Working Prototypes 195
Fabrication 195
Delivery and Installation 196
Professional and Disciplinary Boundaries 197
Chapter 7 Materials 203
Material Matters 205
Material Properties 210
Absorptive Quality 211
Aging and Weathering 212
Cellular Structure (Open-Cell or Closed-Cell) 212
Compressive and Tensile Strength 213
Density 214
Dimensional Movement 214
Ductility 216
Durability 217
Elasticity 217
Expandability 217
Haptic Sensations 218
Stability 219
Surface Qualities 220
Visual Aspects of Finished Wood Surfaces 220
Visual Aspects of Unfinished Wood Surfaces 221
Volatile Organic Compounds 221
Workability 222
Other Aspects 223
Materials: A to Z 224
Adhesives and Glues 224
Composite Boards 226
Fabrics and Leather 229
Finishes 232
Glass 235
Metal 237
Paper 240
Plastics 240
Rubber and Elastomers 245
Stone 247
Woods and Grasses 248
Chapter 8 Processes and Methods of Fabrication 255
Preparing Shop Drawings and a Materials Takeoff List 256
Securing Materials, Equipment, Supplies, and Hardware 257
Bending 260
Carving 262
Cutting, Drilling, Milling, and Planing 263
Assembling and Gluing 264
Joinery, Mechanical Connections, and Fasteners 265
Upholstery 275
Sanding 277
Finishing, Painting, Sealing, Staining, and Surfacing 278
Wood Finishing 278
Delivery and Installation 280
Repairing, Restoring, and Resurfacing 281
A Chronological Overview of Tools 281
Hand Tools 281
Machine Tools 282
Hand Tools Used Today 282
Power Tools Used Today 283
Digital Tools 285
Technology: The Art and Science of Fabrication 287
Craft (Workmanship of Risk) 288
Machine Production (Workmanship of Certainty) 289
Chapter 9 Professional Practice and Marketing 291
Industry 294
Green Marketing 295
Retail and Wholesale 296
Design for Less 298
Alternative Retail 298
Industrial Entrepreneurs: Silent Heroes 300
Furniture Epicenters 301
Paris 301
Northern Italy 301
Scandinavia 302
Other Epicenters 304
The Business of Furniture Design 304
Chapter 10 Historical Overview 307
How Societies Have Thought about Designing, Making, and Using Furniture 307
The Earliest Cultures 309
Ancient Nomadic Societies 309
Prehistoric World Settlements 309
Prehistory to Antiquity 310
Ancient Egypt 310
Archaic and Classical Greece 313
Etruria 315
The Romans 315
Early Christian and Islamic Cultures 316
Emergence of Islamic Furniture (circa 610) 317
Medieval Societies 319
The Rise of Europe 321
The Renaissance 321
Baroque Period 327
French Rococo Period 329
England in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 331
The American Colonies and the Emerging United States 333
The Classical Style 336
The Industrial Revolution 337
Eclecticism 339
Revivals 339
Craft and Design 341
Arts and Crafts in Europe 342
Arts and Crafts in the United States 343
Art Nouveau 345
Modernism and the Machine Age 346
The Bauhaus 348
Rising Heroes of Evolving Modernism 350
Craft versus Design 356
New Craftsmanship 356
The Twenty-First Century: The Digital Age 358
New Digital Tools, New Synthetic Materials, New Design Opportunities 359
Appendix: References and Sources 361
Industry Sources 362
Museums, Galleries, and Exhibitions 365
Glossary 367
Bibliography 381
Index 385
