Application of durability criteria on development of public furniture prototypes using lumber reforestation

• Grant number: 15/24558-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Industrial Design - Product Design
• Principal Investigator: Tomas Queiroz Ferreira Barata
• Grantee: Marina Soares Tomiatti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Arquitetura, Artes e Comunicação (FAAC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Considering that one of the current society's demands is the production and responsible consumption of products that incorporate concepts of sustainability in their life cycle, this research project aims to develop studies about durability using lumber reforestation of Corymbia citriodora and its application in public furniture projects. This species was chosen due to its abundance in the central region of São Paulo state. However, it is still a wood underused in furniture industry for carrying stigmas of quality, what creates the necessity for further studies of its characteristics to generate products with applied design that have high durability and low environmental impact during the production process. The methodology to be adopted in this work can be classified as applied research, because it aims to generate new products and expertise, using the analysis and questioning specific issues of furniture design. It is organized in three groups: characterization of the wood; establishment of durability guidelines; and design and production. The expected results are: the application of the durability guidelines established from the studied theoretical material, the development of graphic pieces and physical prototypes and the analysis of data collected in all production stages.