UB architecture students finetune fabrication skills in furniture-making studio

Some UB architecture students took a deep dive into digital technologies this summer through a 16-day micro studio applying the School of Architecture and Planning’s advanced fabrication tools to the art of furniture construction.

The studio — the second in a series of three summer sessions focused on fabrication — responds to the ever-growing role of digital tooling in architectural research and practice. UB’s architecture school is widely known for its culture of making and its expansive Fabrication Workshop, a 7,000-square-foot facility in Parker Hall that has recently added some of the field’s latest digital technologies to its traditional toolset.

Led by Julia Hunt, director of digital fabrication, the studio focused on two of the shop’s most powerful tools: the CNC router, a computer-controlled milling machine, and the five-axis waterjet cutter, which can execute complex designs on virtually any material using a high-powered water stream that rotates on five axes.

The result is a series of bespoke furniture pieces including tables, chairs, a chest of drawers and decorative, wood-encased mirrors and jewelry trays. Students work was displayed recently in the SMART Fabrication Factory, the center of the shop’s digital workspace

Hunt — a 2017 graduate of UB’s BS Arch program who worked as a fabrication designer with Morphosis in Los Angeles before returning to Buffalo last year to join the shop’s leadership team — says the studio offered students a unique opportunity to take projects from ideation to assembly using only digital technologies.

“Working at the furniture scale allows students to craft highly calibrated connections between materials and digital processes,” says Hunt, adding that students typically rely on shop staff to operate the CNC and waterjet due to their complexity.

Using recycled materials, including wood remnants from last semester’s projects and mirrors Hunt has collected over the years, each student was tasked with creating a jewelry tray, mirror, table and an additional furniture piece of their own choice. Students explored CNC routing techniques in cutting, drilling and engraving to craft custom parts for their projects. The waterjet was employed for the mirror project and to carve some of the students’ more complex components. The studio also incorporated detailed studies in safety protocol, part connections for strong assembly and documentation for manufacturing.  

Hunt says her goal was to prepare students for today’s digitally driven practice environment. “Drawing for the precision of a CNC router is very different from typical construction documentation,” she says. “To operate these machines, students need to understand the software that runs them, the full range of the tools’ applications, as well as their workflows, tolerances and limitations.”

Shruti Kunadia, a senior in the BS Arch program, can attest to the benefits of such an experience. Progressing through four projects in 16 days has taken her imagination to new heights.

“It’s a way to open myself to more possibilities,” says Kunadia, who also took part in the first summer seminar, which was led by shop manager Wade Georgi and engaged analog tools to study joinery in furniture. She says the summer experience’s focus on specific tools and methods has built her confidence, allowing for more creative and efficient project development. 

Victoria Thompson, a Master of Architecture student in her last year of the program, is particularly proud of the dining table and set of four custom chairs she designed and fabricated using the CNC router. Thompson, who is also a student assistant in the Fabrication Workshop, says the studio has honed her facility with the software behind the tools, as well as her skills in drawing. “I’ve learned what the machines are capable of, which allows me to create drawings that both push the boundaries of design but are also feasible.”

Master of Architecture student Emily Vollo says she’s already gained an edge in the practice environment through the studio. “The academic rigor of this course has accelerated my professional development and given me a well-rounded preparation for the world of practice,” she says.

The final summer session in fabrication has already kicked off under the direction of Dennis Maher, clinical assistant professor of architecture. Those students will engage in several hands-on projects at Maher’s Assembly House 150, an art, design and construction nonprofit in downtown Buffalo. Projects include providing mentorship and instructional support for Maher’s Model City Builders initiative, a summer training program in architecture and construction for local high school students.