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Partnership Brings 8th Grade Art Student's Chair Designs to Life

Knoll, Inc., the global workspace and residential furniture design company, unveiled and exhibited three full-scale prototypes of original furniture designs by NYC Lab Middle School students as part of a partnership to increase access to and awareness of art and design. The full-scale prototypes are based on models and drawings by the students and are on display at Knoll's showroom, 76 Ninth Ave., 11th Floor through February.

Thanks to the suggestion of Lab parent, Jeff Jaffe, art educator Joanne Riina reached out to Knoll. The result was a collaboration with the student's work and Knoll's expert design staff. Within days, a collaborative Knoll - Lab Middle School partnership was born!

"I created this project to foster creative thinking and encourage my students to put their ideas out into the design world," Riina said. "This opportunity to collaborate with Knoll has been an incredibly enriching experience for them,giving them a much deeper understanding of the intricacies of furniture design."

Charles Lieb, Knoll Vice President of Product Development, and his Design and Development team evaluated the designs and models and constructed the full-size chair prototypes.

The finished prototypes are the result of a six-week art curriculum project that introduced students to topics including furniture design history, design concepts and diverse art mediums.

Ms. Riina encouraged her students to examine the emotional aspect of creating and altering their own work throughout the design process. Her students voted on the top six designs. Ms. Riina then asked other Lab Middle School teachers to select the final three designs. The full-sized prototypes created by Knoll Design and Development are:

The Boxer

The Boxer, constructed of wire, suede and patent leather, was originally design as a chair before being re-designed as a multi-use stool. The design is sleek, eye-catching and multi-use. It should be placed in a room as the central piece of furniture as its' dimensions range from 36 inches deep to nine feet long. The size was a central part of the brainstorming process, as the design team wanted one of the main purposes of the chair to be a cubbyhole, where a young adult could sit inside one of the cubes with a good book or to do homework.

E=MCchair

Made of metal, cotton textiles and speaker cloth, the E=MCchair incorporates a video game counsel and built-in speakers that can only be heard by the person sitting in the chair. It was designed to convey the words "noisy," "shy" and "bubbly." The Pacman-like shape envelopes the user, making it ideal for use anywhere in the house.

The Circle of Excitement

The circular design of The Circle of Excitement was inspired by the curved backboard of John Bickel's Tribute to Africa chair. "This chair can serve as a contemporary art piece in your home or as a place to sit," commented the designers. The exterior is black and was designed to represent silence while the bright colors of the interior represent noise. The stand is colorful and unique and lends an aesthetic balance.

For more on the Young Lab Middle School Knoll Designers, visit Knoll's site and read the press release

Congratulations to all!

Today is: 05/19/12

7th grade families

Please be reminded to check high school websites for spring and fall open house and tour information.

Download Slides from Admissions Workshop

Tastes NYC 2012


www.tastesnyc.org

Join us Saturday, June 2 from 11:30am - 3:00pm (rain or shine) for our fifth annual culinary festival.

BUY TICKETS ONLINE

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Upcoming Events

05/01/12
Month of May Book Drive Begins

05/12/12
Painting the Hallways with Publicolor

05/17/12
Gator Recognition Nite
6:00pm
Cafeteria

05/18/12
7th Grade Dance
4:30pm - 6:30pm

05/19/12
Painting the Hallways with Publicolor

05/19/12
Last day to purchase books on Scholastic Book Fair Online

05/26/12
Painting the Hallways with Publicolor

06/02/12
TASTES!

06/08/12
Inclusion Workshop

06/19/12
Kids Only Stepping Up Event

06/22/12
8th Grade Stepping Up Ceremony

DOE Calendar

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access DoE calendar

DoE Calendar

Click this link to access 2011-2012 School Calendar

Lab Reports

>> From the Lunar Banquet 2011

>> 8th Grade Presents: The Boxer, E=MCchair and The Circle of Excitment

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