Constructing cardboard chairs for children as a part of applied structural design education in architecture

Within undergraduate architecture programs, structural design is typically taught in the engineering tradition, with a focus on fundamental principles, analysis and calculation. Architecture students however often find it difficult to make use of such learning in the design studio. This paper discusses a course offered to postgraduate students of architecture that was developed to integrate digital architectural design and structural design in the making of physical structures. As a part of the course, students designed cardboard chairs that were presented to and tested by five year old children to demonstrate to architecture students the immediate responsibility that structural designing incurs. The integration of design, construction of structurally sound chairs and the subsequent testing by users enabled participating students to incorporate structural thinking into their design processes. The applied exercises enriched the theoretical aspects of the course and provided opportunities for multi-faceted and engaging learning experiences.