Cal Poly Students Bring Furniture Designs to Life

by Nathan Jackson

A Vellum visitor basks in the light of Eric Tsang’s Familial Glow

Over 200 students displayed their one-of-a-kind furniture pieces at the 21st Vellum/CAED Furniture Competition and Exhibition. Hosted by Cal Poly's Architecture Department and San Luis Obispo firm Vellum Design Build, the event allows students to showcase their creativity and technical skills to a broad audience during a juried competition.

True to Cal Poly’s curriculum, Vellum is all about Learn by Doing. As students overcome challenges to actualize their vision, they learn what makes an ingenious design-build.

“Rather than just having an idea of how [design] works, you get real life experience,” fifth-year architecture major Giovanna Trujillo said.

“It’s a good way to see a process from beginning to end,” added Tai Phaniphon, a fifth-year architecture major.

From sketching and creating concept models to testing, prototyping and completing a final product, this signature event encapsulates architecture education at Cal Poly

“In academia, it's rare that we get to build architecture... but here’s an opportunity for us to actually build something that we design,” said architecture professor Tom Di Santo.

This year, the top project, SPaCe Architects’ Milano Grand Prize, went to fourth-year architecture major Samuel Sundstrom for (Grass Paper) Accessory, a multipurpose lamp made of handmade, recycled grass paper, cast aluminum and stainless-steel tubing (pictured above).

Sundstrom will be attending the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milano this April for the largest furniture trade fair in the world.

Alongside a grand prize, the Vellum competition awards students in various categories.

Significant achievement:

· The Vellum Prize: Grant Meyer

· Honorable Mention, People’s Choice and Class of 2004 Reunion Award: Grant Meyer

· Honorable Mention: Kieran Collins

· Honorable Mention: Henry Kosinski

· Honorable Mention: Jared Miao

· Honorable Mention: Greta Nerad

· Honorable Mention: Sarah Rhea

Themed categories:

· EsserStudios: Contemporary Award: Alex Gates

· MYLR: Modernist Award: Justin Grillo

· Dr. Daniel Lewis: Plein Aire Award: Lucas Marroquinortiz

· Studio_2g Cradle to Cradle Award: Holly Trina

· RRM: 100% Pure Award: Gabriella Vaz de Freitas

· CWA: Craftmanship & DRD: Best Use of Wood Award: Jack White

Book prizes:

· M:oME_1 Award: Phoebe Cannon

· M:oME_2 Award: Dante Luri

· Satellite of Love Award: William Bearden

· RNT Award: Lindsay Hamilton

· Flux Design Award: Alyssa Lin