Last spring, The Ohio State Design partnered with 3Form, an architectural resin and glass manufacturer, for a student design competition. The competition was part of a student project in the Materials, Process, and Production for Interior Design class led by Associate Professor Rebekah Matheny. The partnership emerged from a shared passion for sustainability and social responsibility between Rebekah and 3Form CEO Ryan Smith. Each student was provided a 4’x4’ panel of translucent resin from their Reclaim Products and asked to explore the material’s properties from heat forming to laser cutting and beyond. 3Form was founded on the idea of creativity, craft, and color. this project asked the students to harness their own creativity to craft an object that responds to human conditions. 

First place went to Marley Labishak. Her design, called REPURPOSE, created a modular system which allows the user to easily swap out and adapt various components to create various functional forms for everyday applications. The concept empowers people to think outside the box, literally, as she also designed the custom box to hold the kit of parts. 3Form liked this waste reducing concept so much so that they produced 700, including a 3d printed box from ocean plastics, to gift to professional designers for Christmas. You can see Marley’s design and the 3Form gift on their Instagram. 

Second place winner, Xander Stephens, designed a chair using heat forming and reclaimed legs. The form folded down to create the back and arms while providing stability. For third place winner, Maya Zaveduk, the project gave her an opportunity to focus on something close to home, helping her mom, a special education teacher, students within the classroom. Her interactive lamp was designed to empower neurodiverse children, making education spaces more inclusive through the sensory-friendly design that brings both motion and comfort to promote focus and relaxation. 

3Form is once again partnering with Rebekah and her Materials class this year. Stay tuned to see what this partnership yields later in the semester!