Furniture Design Minor
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- Rochester Institute of Technology /
- Academics /
- Furniture Design Minor
Overview for Furniture Design Minor
The furniture design minor enables you to develop craftsmanship and fine woodworking skills while also engaging in aesthetic and creative problem solving associated with furniture design. You will investigate an individual design language and personal aesthetic through the creation of various pieces of furniture.
Notes about this minor:
- This minor is closed to students majoring in the studio arts BFA who have chosen the furniture design option.
- Posting of the minor on the student's academic transcript requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the minor.
- Notations may appear in the curriculum chart below outlining pre-requisites, co-requisites, and other curriculum requirements (see footnotes).
The plan code for Furniture Design Minor is CWFD-MN.
Curriculum for Furniture Design Minor
Course | |
---|---|
Required Courses | |
CWFD-124 or FDTN-131 |
Woodworking / Furniture Studio Survey or 3D Design I |
CWFD-213 | Introduction to Woodworking and Furniture Design This is a course required for majors and open to non-majors at RIT, covering beginning woodworking techniques, and the design process as it relates to the material. Topics include the use of select hand tools, woodworking power tools, the basic properties of wood as a material, and the fundamental processes of wood fabrication. The course includes prescribed projects based on in-class contact hours. In this course students will develop the fundamentals of working with wood. **Fee: There is a materials fee required for this course and an additional course fee applied via student account. ** (Prerequisites: FDTN-112 or FDTN-212 or FDTN-122 or FDTN-222 or FDTN-132 or FDTN-232 or FDTN-141 or IDDE-102 or ILLS-206 or ILLS-209 or INDE-102 or CWFD-124 or equivalent course.) Studio 6 (Fall or Spring). |
Electives | |
Choose three of the following: | |
CWFD-506 | Furniture Design: Table Design and Construction This course covers intermediate woodworking techniques associated with furniture design and construction. Students will investigate the functional and aesthetic considerations of table design through ideation and conceptual development. Topics include the properties of wood as a material, design development through drawing and model-making, the safe use and care of hand tools such as chisels and saws, portable power tools, and the use of stationary power tools. Students will be introduced to wood joinery best suited for table construction.**Fee: A materials fee is required for this course and an additional course fee will be applied via student account** (Prerequisites: CWFD-213 or CWFD-124 or CWFD-MN or WOOD-AOS students or equivilent course.) Studio 6 (Fall). |
CWFD-507 | Furniture Design: Bench Design and Construction This course covers intermediate woodworking techniques associated with furniture design and construction. With a focus on aesthetics, structure, and functionality, students will design and construct furniture for seating such as stools and benches. Topics covered will include intermediate joinery techniques, lathe turning, hand and power shaping, and the safe use of the multi-router, router table and rotary carving tools. These processes will foster a focus on craftsmanship, technical knowledge and design development. **Fee: There is a materials fee required for this course and an additional course fee applied via student account. ** (Prerequisites: CWFD-213 or CWFD-124 or CWFD-MN or WOOD-AOS students or equivilent course.) Studio 6 (Spring). |
CWFD-511 | Furniture Design: Wood Carving This course will provide students with fundamental techniques necessary to design and fabricate refined hand carved vessels and other wooden objects. Participants in this course will gain an understanding of the inherent properties of wood, identifying assets and limitations of the material as they design and build. Students will develop skills to formalize individual design ideas for presentation, planning and construction. Topics will include lumber selection, the safe and proper use of machinery and portable power tools, the care and use of gouges, spokeshaves, and other sharp-edged hand tools, as well as sanding and wood finishing, and will support the focus on craftsmanship, technical knowledge and design development. **Fee: There is a materials fee required for this course and an additional course fee applied via SFS bill. See course notes for course fee information. ** (Prerequisites: CWFD-213 or CWFD-124 or CWFD-MN or WOOD-AOS students or equivilent course.) Studio 6 (Fall). |
CWFD-512 | Furniture Design: Box and Cabinet Design and Construction This course covers the techniques associated with the design and construction of wooden boxes and cabinets. Students will design and build a number of functional pieces giving careful consideration to the inherent properties of the material. Course topics will include lumber selection and processing, joinery layout and corner joint construction, as well as the safe use of hand and power tools. The class will also introduce lid, drawer, and hinging options, and intermediate hand finishing techniques. At the completion of this course, students will have the technical knowledge and design development to create artwork with the highest level of craftsmanship. **Fee: A materials fee is required for this course and an additional course fee will be applied via student account** (Prerequisites: CWFD-213 or CWFD-124 or CWFD-MN or WOOD-AOS students or equivilent course.) Studio 6 (Spring). |
CWFD-530 | Furniture Design 3 Credit Elective This is a class designed for non-majors, covering a fundamental introduction to techniques and aesthetics of woodworking. Topics covered include the use of select hand tools and woodworking power tools, wood as a material, its basic properties and fundamental processes of wood fabrication. The course includes a prescribed project based on five in-class contact hours. **Fee: There is a lab fee required for this course** (This course is available to RIT degree-seeking undergraduate students.) Studio 5 (Fall, Spring). |
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