Prism Accent Furniture

Sustainable Design with Autodesk Fusion 360

Prism Accent Furniture (Short Lifecycle)

Summary

Product lifetime cannot have a one-size-fits-all approach and design details and materials selection should accommodate for this variations. Prism is a modular system of illuminated tables designed for college students and other people living in temporary situations. Prism integrates tables and ambient lighting into a single product that comes flat-packed and is easy to assemble and disassemble. When users are ready to move to a new life stage they can either flat pack the tables and bring them along or they can recycle them.

Project Title:

Prism Accent Furniture

Project Designers:

Lara Cardoso, Andrew Magee, Mariana Pinheiro, and Trupti Pomaje (plus Professor, Alex Lobos) - Rochester Institute of Technology

Project Date:

Dec 2015

Autodesk Software Used:

Autodesk® Fusion 360™

Design goals

Integrate packaging and product
Materials’ selection for products with short lifespans
Engage user in product assembly/disassembly
Create a design that is easy to reconfigure
Minimize number of parts and manufacturing processes
Create multi-functional products

Sustainability Workshop Concepts Applied

Product durability based on appropriate lifespan
Optimize assembly and disassembly
Select materials for easy recycling
Simple yet strong parts for product lightweighting

Key Design Features

Simplicity and efficiency

Prism’s design is based on simple shapes and clean lines that take advantage of the structural capabilities of corrugated plastic. Triangular shapes provide strong structures with minimal use of material. The direction of the corrugated pattern is used vertically so that it strong enough to support weight over it, making them strong enough to work as tables or even stools.

Versatility

The dimensions of each side of the triangles are designed so that multiple objects can be set next to each other in multiple configurations. This allows for the system to grow as much or as little as users need it. Users can also play with different layouts that allow for the furniture system to become an attractive element of any living space.

Product as packaging

Prism systems come flat packed with sections folded one on top of each other. Protective caps secure the pieces together and provide enough protection to the corners minimizing the need for additional packaging.

Colors and lighting

Corrugated plastic comes in a wide array of colors and opacity. This allows for a wide variety of colors to be used in the design. An energy-efficient lighting system hosted inside the prismatic structure takes advantage of the translucent material, turning the furniture into dramatic ambient lighting elements.