Incorporating Sustainable Practices and Materials in Furniture Design and Production

Please note that all session times are in Eastern Daylight Time

A panel presen­ta­tion involv­ing Bruce Schuet­tinger’s prac­tices as a designer and studio furni­ture maker address­ing how he incor­po­rates various sustain­able prac­tices in his furni­ture designs and produc­tion. This would include a discus­sion on the types of sustain­ably sourced and produced mate­ri­als he uses; their phys­i­cal prop­er­ties; how these prop­er­ties posi­tively affect the appear­ance and usage of the piece of furni­ture; and what are the appro­pri­ate joinery, adhe­sives, and finish­ing systems for these prod­ucts. This discus­sion would also include the use of recy­cled or upcy­cled mate­ri­als and the use of often discarded mate­ri­als from the furni­ture produc­tion process. These topics will include where a maker could obtain the mate­ri­als, what is the effi­cacy of utiliz­ing a portion of a previ­ous craftsman’s work in a new a work of furni­ture or art, and the health risks asso­ci­ated with the use of older recycled materials.

This initial segment will be followed by his daugh­ter, Alison Schuet­tinger, presen­ta­tion on Bioma­te­ri­als. It will then be followed by a presen­ta­tion from a repre­sen­ta­tive from Eco-Supply address­ing a number of prod­ucts, which they sell and how they are used in the indus­try. A sepa­rate Q & A session will be conducted in between each presenter.