03-14-2014
A seat for success: Interior architecture & product design student's chair wins Kansas City competition
A study abroad experience helped a Kansas State University interior architecture & product design student bring home top honors in a "monster" of a design competition.
Josef Lang, fourth year interior architecture & product design student in the university's College of Architecture, Planning and Design, or APDesign, earned best in show honors for his chair design in the "Monsters of Design" competition, a part of Kansas City's annual Design Week. The competition is open to designers and architects within a 200-mile radius of Kansas City.
"Josef is a talented designer, a motivated leader and a well-loved member of the APDesign community. While I am always excited to see our students recognized for their talent, in Josef's case I am particularly pleased to see a wonderful person rewarded for his dedication,” said Tim de Noble, dean of the College of Architecture, Planning & Design.
Fifty applicants submitted designs for the event, with Lang, Bellevue, Neb., winning the top prize for his chair called "CR45."
"It was a great moment of validation," said Lang, who put in more than 1,000 hours of work into the design and its multiple prototypes.
"CR45" is a direct result of a summer 2013 study abroad experience in Copenhagen at the Danish Institute, Lang said. He studied furniture design under Flemming Steen Jesen, a Danish designer and practicing professional.
The name of Lang's design even pays tribute to Denmark.
"The 'CR' stands for cantilevered rod and the '45' is the country code when dialing Denmark — giving credit to the design's country of origin," he said.
The summer furniture studio class Lang was in split into four groups and students were challenged to design with only one specific material for the structure of their piece. Lang was given the solid steel category and from there decided to take a minimalist approach, designing a cantilevered chair.
The steel arches from the early industrial period of Western Europe inspired Lang's design. The arches maximized their efficiency by creating space frames that diagram the forces acting on traditional monolithic arched constructions. He used their trusses as a guide to create a space frame to compensate for the disadvantages posed by the geometry of the solid rod.
Since returning from Copenhagen, Lang has been making the "CR45" chairs by hand in his garage. His submission for "Monsters of Design" was based on the fifth prototype, but Lang says he is always looking for ways to make it a little better. He is currently working with a manufacturer to explore increased production of the chairs as interest in them is growing.
"A lot of credit is owed to the interior architecture & product design curriculum and mindset that equally values the conceptualizing of a design and physically realizing it as being equally integral components of what makes great design possible," Lang said.
Design Week is sponsored by a wide range of companies and organization and offers speakers, events, competitions and exhibitions, each showing a different facet of design.
Lang is a 2010 graduate of Bellevue East High School in Bellevue.
Third Floor Tidbits- Weigel Library
Library hours during Spring Break -
Weigel Library will be open the week of Spring Break, Monday through Friday, March 17to 21, 8 am to 12 noon and 1 pm to 5 pm.
The library will be closed the two weekends, March 15th and 16th, and March 22nd and 23rd.
Regular hours of operation will resume on Monday, March 24th when Weigel opens at 8 am.
Enjoy your break!
On display in Weigel –
International Garden Festival – We’re highlighting Jessica Canfield (L A instructor) and her garden design “GREEN without GREED” selected from 300+ entries to be part of the 2014 Festival in France April through November.
Design Expo – Resources about resumes, portfolio and web design, and interviews are available to assist with preparations for that day.
Sub terra architecture – Materials were uncovered in Weigel and pulled out for this display showing examples of architecture similar to those on exhibit in the Chang Gallery.
Fire Alarm Test
Every year the State Fire Marshall requires the testing of the strobes and fire alarm system in Seaton and Seaton Court. The dates for this testing will happen overnight from Sunday 16 through Sunday 23 March. On Saturday evening/Sunday morning 22/23 March the testing company will be doing their audible testing of the alarms in Seaton and Seaton Court. The alarm testing company will begin by mapping out the location of each strobe, fire alarm, electrical panel and fire control panel throughout our complex. The audible portion of the testing of the fire alarms will happen Saturday evening/Sunday morning 22/23 March anytime between 10p and 6a those days.
What does this mean to you?
We chose these days because this is Spring Break and many of you will not be on campus. But if you are, from 10p and 6a each day between 16 March through 23 March several unknown workers will be wandering around Seaton and Seaton Court. If you are worried if the strangers are suppose to be in the building, ask for their badges.
Then between 10p Saturday 22 March through 6a Sunday 23 March they will test the alarms and the strobes. When this happens you DO NOT need to leave the building. If you are here, put headphones on and ignore the noise and strobe lights. The testing will not be continuous for their eight-hour work shift, but it may be obnoxious.
This is the only time I will give you permission to stay in the building and ignore the fire alarms going off.
If you have questions or concerns please come see me!
Wendy Ornelas, FAIA, Associate Dean + Professor
OPEN HOUSE VOLUNTEERS
APDesign needs student volunteers to help with Open House. Some volunteers will answer questions about APDesign will help Thom Jackson around Seaton Hall, including set up, tear down, possibly running the LEGO playspace and other general activities. Volunteers receive free T-shirts! If you’re interested in volunteering, please send an email to tjackson@k-state.edu with what hours between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. you are available to volunteer. We need approximately 4-5 volunteers per hour. Thank you!
Delineation Competition
The Ted and Sue Knapp Student Delineation Competition will be hung in the Chang Gallery on Monday, April 14.
Student entries are due by 5 p.m. Friday, April 12 to Thom Jackson’s office (Seaton 214). Entries must be in one of four categories: freehand black & white, freehand color, computer or mixed media. All entries must include a hanging device (NOT tape), a CD or an email to tjackson@k-state.edu containing a digital scan/copy of the entry must accompany the form. This year’ first place prize is $2,000 so let the competition begin! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTRY FORM
SECURITY
As we go on spring break, it is important for each of us to remember that while we all share good will towards everyone in our APDesign Community we must remain vigilant about protecting ourselves, and each other against damage and theft.
Even with the new security systems we must all do our part like making sure doors are locked, reporting suspicious activity, taking home computers or locking up computers when away for long periods of time is a simple but effective way of keeping possessions safe.
Security enhancements now in place include a large number of security cameras that are live 24 hours a day to record any activity in our entrances, exits and corridors. Key card locks have also been added to many of the lab doors. Again, this is to protect the college and keep out unauthorized users.
We all sincerely hope that you have a wonderful and restful break and come back well charged!
SHOP HOURS
The APD shop will be closed for spring break week. The shop will close at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 14, and will resume normal hours at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 23.
APDPro Update:
APDPRO: RCP Licensure: John Keller
Tuesday, March 25, 2014, Seaton 104, 1:00 PM
APDesign Professor Peter Magyar Lecture
Wednesday, March 26, 2014, Little Theatre, 4:00-5:00 PM
Government Jobs for Every Major (CES)
Thursday, March 27, 2014, Union 227, 4:00 PM
