C.H. Briggs partnered with Philadelphia University’s Department of Industrial Design Program to showcase student designs using DuPont Corian in the recently opened LIFE+ exhibition. Students were challenged to use the material for product designs that could be easily integrated into everyday life, and the resulting exhibition is on display at Philadelphia’s Center for Architecture until November 18, 2010.
“We developed this curriculum with the incredible end results in view,” said Tod Cortlett, Industrial Design program professor at Philadelphia University. “However, we could never have predicted the level of imagination that is evident in these student-designed products. We look forward to working with C.H. Briggs in the future to further witness the ingenuity and freedom our students experience designing with Corian.”
The students’ design exploration was supported by a C.H. Briggs-led visit to the DuPont Corian Design Studio Philadelphia. The studio displays unconventional, forward-thinking Corian vignettes that inspired students to take their designs beyond the ordinary.
LIFE+ will display a range of student design innovations, including the “Chef’s Little Helper,” (above) a functional on-the-counter utensil organizer designed by Kathryn Forbes; Julianne Magliaro’s “Spezzato,” which is a table that separates into three smaller tables; and the “CorianWare Umote,” (top) which was designed by Trevor Walsh and features a surface for arranging nigiri, maki, pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.
“The LIFE+ show has been tons of tiring work at times, but the outcome has been the result of an excellent collaboration between academics and professionals,” said LIFE+ designer Eric Holzer, who is now a Philadelphia University graduate. “You get an energized feeling when your months of sketching and mockup development finally come to fruition in a completed physical piece. A supportive team of fabricators allowed everyone to be fully immersed in the construction of the pieces from the beginning, by allowing us to work in their shops and see the design come alive.”
The LIFE+ exhibition will be open to the public through November 18, 2010. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday and on Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm. The Center for Architecture is located at 1218 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
