Move over, Charles and Ray! A program jointly sponsored by the AIAS and the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF) challenged architecture students, working individually or in teams, to design a chair using only corrugated cardboard and glue. Rules required that the chair elevate the user off the ground and be comfortable for an extended period of time. The finalists will be on display in the AIAS Student Lounge on the Expo floor at the AIA national convention in Chicago, June 10–12.

Fifty teams from as far away as Hong Kong entered the competition, the objectives of which included encouraging and rewarding excellence in design that integrates function, aesthetics, structure, ergonomics, details, and fun. The first tier of the competition took place May 1. The six finalist submissions (which are not pictured here for the sake of fairness in the next round of judging) will be judged at the convention. The finalists, competing for $3,475 in prize money, are:

• Dale Sanders, Henry Louth, Stuart Hand, and Rush Carolton, Louisiana State University
• Christopher Pritchett, Virginia Tech
• Jill Bills and Jesse Bulman, Iowa State University
• Amy McCarty and Hatti Terrell, University of Arkansas
• Chiaohsun Terry Chang, State University of New York at Buffalo
• Sam Neves, Texas A&M University.

Also winning accolades
The jury gave four merit awards in special areas. Each merit winner will receive a certificate and a $50 prize.

• Aesthetics: James F Misenhelder, Fairmont State University
• Structure: Rolando A. Diaz Rodriguez, New School of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico
• Construction process: Brian Sommerfeld, North Dakota State University
• Comfort: Cristina Rustenbach, Virginia Tech.

The jurors also selected three honorable mentions:

• Lee Ming San and Lam Lai Heng, Macau Polytechnic Institute
• Greg Martin, Fairmont State University
• Brian Peters, University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jurors are Ehren Gaag, AIA, associate, Gensler; Barbara Laurie, AIA, Devrouax & Purnell Architects, Planners and Howard University adjunct associate professor; Kara S. Strong, AIA, project manager, Einhorn Yaffee Prescott; and Margaret Tarampi, Assoc. AIA, research consultant, Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture.

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