Balloon Party student design
Natalie Kruch, University of Alberta, Edmonton
University of Alberta student Natalie Kruch was inspired by Brazil’s Campana brothers to create her Balloon Party accent table, made of Baltic birch and latex balloons. Kruch says the table combines minimal form with the playful and unconventional use of a familiar object – in this case the balloon. After being exhibited in the student section at the Interior Design Show in Toronto in February, the table was selected by Umbra and is now being modified to function as a stool.
Extending the limits: design through motion
Celeste Brunel, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
As part of her thesis for a master’s degree in interior design from the University of Manitoba, Celeste Brunel created an interactive work environment for a fashion marketer with a physical condition: short arms and hands that rest on her chest. In order to design a functioning environment, Brunel required a better understanding of her client’s unique movements, needs and spatial awareness. A choreographic dance software – Danceforms by Credo Interactive – was used to plot her movements and spatial needs. Models and schemes in the dance software were then brought into 3D architectural software. Creating a desk that would meet the client’s needs was the core of the project; the design was then expanded to the entire office and the fashion display environment.
Presa
Students at the University of Alberta, Edmonton
A group of industrial design students at the University of Alberta conceived the concept for Presa, a washbasin that meets the needs of older people, people with low mobility or those confined to a wheelchair. Presa features specially organized taps for the front of the sink. Both hot and cold taps are independent and operate by being pushed forward; maximum pressure is achieved when the taps are horizontal. Their positioning and design eliminates excessive reaching and the need for the user to twist his or her wrists, as well as minimizes the number of steps involved in washing.
STUDENTS: TENG CHONG, JONATHAN GRIFFITHS AND TYLER VREELING, WITH OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY RESEARCH BY ASHLEY BISSETT AND COLLEEN LAWRENCE.