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Bryanston pupil designs and creates sustainable chairs using bamboo wood

A2 pupil Bay P successfully designed and created children’s furniture as part of her A level design and technology project.

Bay chose a design context of sustainability within the home, and bamboo wood was the ideal material for her to work with. Bay commented: “I wanted to create a sustainable form of children’s furniture due to there being such huge wastage and disposal of plastic kids’ toys and furniture. Bamboo wood is a sustainable, renewable resource because it’s biodegradable and fast-growing, meaning that it can be easily replaced.”

The chairs were designed by Bay to be multifunctional. Bay added: “I didn’t want the design to be obsolete. I wanted them to be able to be used when children grow out of them. The chairs could be used as other items of furniture within the home aside from chairs, such as shelving or a bedside table.”

The finished chairs have a magnetic system within, and this enables them to be securely locked into different configurations.

The versatile seating designed by Bay uses bamboo wood from Moso Bamboo Surfaces. Bay’s successful project has been highlighted on Moso Bamboo Surfaces’ website and can be seen in the ‘Our Projects’ section: www.mosobamboosurfaces.co.uk.

Martin Bolton, D&T teacher at Bryanston, commented: “Sustainability is vital. We are only starting to address the issue of single use plastic in today’s society. Good design is not just about how it functions, morally, we have to look at the impact of the manufacturing process, the materials used and above all its usage. Bay’s design is impressive in that it functions as multiple products and if looked after, it could stay with the family for years. On first impression it may look like a simple design, but there have been numerous design iterations in order to create a product that could be used as a chair, low table, bookshelf, bedside table or den… It’s exciting to see Bay design such a simple but versatile product that wouldn’t look out of place next to other commercial products.”