Teaching Requirement: Can be fully asynchronous

Prompt: Students will use a single "unconventional" material to construct a chair.

Purpose: Understanding structural principles and stretching the abilities and uses of common materials.

Part 1: Gather your materials

Choose a material that you can find a lot of in your home. This material will have to serve as both the structural material of your chair and the element that holds these pieces together. The goal is to try and push the limits of materials not usually considered for such construction, such as cloth, paper, etc. 

Part 2: Designing the Chair

The parameter for this design are as follows: it must have a seat of at least 1.5 feet in one dimension and must sit at least 6 inches off of the ground. And, of course, it must hold up a person (of any size, but this must be testable).

Considering the construction methods listed below and the nature of your material, draw the design of your chair from a front, top, and side view (see the Orthographic Drawing overview in the resources tab). You may want to draw a couple of conceptual sketches to iron out your design before you do this. 

You may refer to the following techniques to construct your chair:

• Rolling
• Folding
• Wrapping
• Weaving 
• Stacking
• Tying

Part 3: Build!

Now it's time to build your chair. You will likely encounter challenges along the way - no fear! Trial and error is your friend, and it is totally ok if your design evolves throughout the making process. Remember to document your progress as you go along.