What does sustainability mean with respect to furniture design and fabrication? How has technology - created and subsequently clouded - opportunities for new thinking? This body of work explores these broader questions and, more specifically, the efficiencies of bending wood. Historical precedents will guide a distillation of established bentwood technologies, which in turn will generate a more sustainable operation. The framework of this operation revolves around a minimalist approach to design coupled with an increased focus on product longevity - the paramount sustainable attribute. Additionally, an investigation of suitable alternatives to the most common - and highly toxic - adhesives is necessary. Beyond secondary research the primary research will utilize small-scale models to minimize material waste while examining the appropriateness of new processes. These studies will emulate the sculptural plywood experiments of Alvar Aalto and Charles and Ray Eames. The final manufacturing process will make use of these study models with the intent of generating a modular system of interchangeable formwork to customize sustainably produced pieces. Final deliverables include the tangible studies along with full-scale designs utilizing modular formwork and a research component documenting the potential for a more comprehensive definition of sustainability with regards to furniture. / Master of Science

During recent years (2010), magnitude and quality of household living space of Taiwanese families have both significantly increased. As living aesthetics is pursued as well, furniture and the furnishings have played important roles in their daily lives at the same time. In addition, international titanic chain stores of furniture entered into Taiwan market rapidly, advocating multi-faceted values of living and purveying fashions of furniture. Consequently, many new concepts about furniture and house furnishing have been conceived in the minds of consumers in the Formosa island. The current study has two empirical research: (1) for the market as a whole, observing the relationships among on stores evaluation, attitude towards furniture involvement, purchase risk, and readiness to buy; (2) regarding individual consumers, exploring the alteration of consideration and brand type choices in terms of different situations which are designed by store type, demand situation, and furniture categories, two alternatives for each dimension. In methodology, the first research was conducted by questionnaire survey, with 112 valid samples. For the second, a factorial design of experiment was undertaken with 224 participation, students and rank-and-file populace distributed evenly. The major findings include: (a) the effect of furniture involvement on local store evaluation is moderated by purchase risk; (b) purchase readiness influences the relationship between furniture involvement and store evaluation; (c) furniture stores affect consumers¡¦ brand-category choice; (d) for experienced populace, local traditional store is preferred in purchase for first time; (e) brand and fashion is emphasized more in living room furniture than bed room; (f) when in first purchase for bedroom furniture, the particpants preferred the designer brand, while in replacement purchase, the preference is rendered for living room furniture.

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1975. / Typescript.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1975. / Also available in print.

This study will attempt to show the influence of certain rulers on the construction and design of furniture during the years 1300 to 1830.

The miniature furniture cataloged is considered to be of the second size, i.e., miniatures which could have been used as traveler's samples, cabinetmaker's models, or toys. The entries are selected from collections of Louisiana and Texas museums and historical societies. They were located through use of a questionnaire sent to the institutions listed in the Official Museum Directory as having furniture and decorative arts collections. Responses showed five institutions owning miniatures of the second size, as follows: Louisiana State Museum, New Orleans; Anglo-American Art Museum, Baton Rouge; Harris County Heritage Society, Houston; Witte Memorial Museum, San Antonio; and Dallas Historical Society.

No description available.

Human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) plays a crucial role in business success but is particularly vital to the furniture manufacturing industry. Unfortunately, the furniture manufacturing industry suffers from occupational injuries and illnesses resulting from ergonomically poorly designed systems. This thesis’s objective was to better understand HF/E through the furniture manufacturing industry’s managerial knowledge and opinions in order to design more productive, safer, and healthier systems. The study also aimed to raise manager awareness in the industry and introduce the potential HF/E benefits by providing current literature. Sixtyour American furniture manufacturing industry managers participated in a web-based questionnaire survey. The survey revealed that managers’ demographic properties and companies’ characteristics were some factors that affect managers’ awareness, knowledge, and opinions on HF/E. In general, managers were unfamiliar with HF/E and lacked a broad background on and knowledge of HF/E. In addition, companies, particularly small companies, lacked sufficient resources for HF/E.

No description available.

Recycled Posthuman Furniture – What has furniture become is a project that aims to explore the relationship between humans and furniture from the post-humanist perspective. Post-humanism is understood here as our capacity of giving non-human items the sense of humanity in terms of ethics and effects. Accordingly, we might consider the furniture has some certain human values. Therefore, this paper aims to demonstrate a new relationship compared with current states through a transdisciplinary design and speculative design with the goal of changing people’s understanding towards discarded furniture. Through the knowledge of current issues, this paper is tended to bring different perspectives of thoughts and questions in order to be aware of surrounding issues with the hope of changing current states to deliver a better future by chance. As the result, this paper puts forward a new sustainable lifestyle which advocates equality and inclusiveness among human and nonhuman and thus helps to solve survival crisis. Human is not the almighty of the world and all the existences are valuable as well. As humans, we must change our thinking patterns and begin accepting and treating other nonhuman equally. We are required to wake emotions that are hiding deep down in our heart and apply them on furniture and treat rejected and abandoned furniture as human. Only in this way can we decrease environmental pressure, reduce the discharge of solid waste and deal with the global crisis. Taking furniture as a start, humans should open their emotions and care for all objects that are living on the earth, focus on collective interest instead of individual interest.