"Future Furniture Studio Lights Up Students"

"This week, high school students wrapped up their final projects as part of the Future Furniture studio. This studio, led by NuVuX Fellow Ben Johnson, combined principals from math, biology, humanities, electrical engineering, and art in the design of a lighting element. But it was no ordinary lighting element. The studio incorporated an up-cycling element - constraining students to use only paper cups, hot glue, and string in their designs. Using nothing but these few materials to encapsulate a lightbulb in any way they chose, they stretched their imaginations to create truly unique and site specific designs.

Students were deeply invested and engaged in the design process, moving between experimentation, sketching, prototyping, and installation as their pieces evolved and developed. Throughout the studio, students explored the emergent beauty of modular design.

Students also discovered the power of installations -- a temporary exploration to transform the atmosphere, mood, and vibe of a space. They learned how these positive, collaborative transformations have the ability to impact the way we think, develop, and interact with ourselves, our peers, and our wider community.

The lamps have become a launching point for innovative ideas. Some questions students have asked:

‍What if we scaled up the structure to become a modular greenhouse?

What if we scaled down the structure to the size of a cell for biomedical devices?

What if it was the size of a star and harvested solar energy?!

What would happen if we used cupcake liners instead of paper cups?

These questions are a great reminder that innovative ideas brought into reality can help spark collaboration, creative confidence, and a culture that values leaving a space better than they found it."