Graduate and undergraduate interior design students and faculty from Pratt participated in the SOFA CHICAGO (Sculptural Objects Functional Art + Design) CONNECT competition this fall for the fourth consecutive year. The annual art and design fair, which draws more than 35,000 visitors from around the United States and abroad, was held from November 3-6, 2016 at Chicago’s Navy Pier.
Pratt was one of six top design schools in the country chosen to contribute to CONNECT, the fair’s exhibition for design environments that incorporate seating, lighting, and objects. Pratt’s team explored the concept of poché, a French architectural term meaning “the space between.” Using white, silver, and transparent vinyl in combination with recycled cardboard, the team constructed an occupiable architectonic rendering of an urban city skyline. The design itself was composed of a series of pre-fabricated inflatables with collapsible cardboard furniture inside evoking a cityscape.
The installation was a collaboration between the Prefab Interior Options Lab taught by Professor of Interior Design Deborah Schneiderman and an Interior Options Lab taught by Visiting Associate Professor of Interior Design Alex Schweder.
Image: poché at SOFA CHICAGO