Cardboard furniture

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Wiggle Side Chair, Frank Gehry, 1972 Frank Gehry - 1972 - Wiggle Side Chair.png
Wiggle Side Chair, Frank Gehry, 1972

Cardboard furniture is classified as furniture designed and made from corrugated fibreboard (including inverted corrugated boards), heavy paperboard, honeycomb board, fibre tubes or a combination of these materials. Cardboard furniture is misleading, since "cardboard" is a depreciated term, sometimes describing corrugated cardboard, but sometimes to any heavy paper. [1] but not being sufficiently specific to describe the various forms of paper-based boards used today in order to make furniture.

Contents

Generally cardboard furniture is lightweight and easy to assemble, without using screws or glue.

History and development

First usage of cardboard as a material for engineered lightweight structures occurred at the 1954 Triennale in Milan with Richard Buckminster Fuller displaying a Geodesic Dome made of cardboard. [2] In 1968, German designer Peter Raacke demonstrated the possibilities of creating a cardboard chair within five minutes live on NBC, calling it the "first really modern piece of furniture". [3]

In 1972, Canadian-born architect Frank Gehry (b. 1929) introduced the first publicly well-received cardboard furniture series ("Easy Edges"), including the iconic Wiggle Chair. [4] Being confronted with some resistance at the time - i.g. New York Times calling it "paper furniture for penny pinchers" [5] - and simultaneously worrying the furniture's popularity would be paramount to his work as an architect, Gehry stopped production in 1973 and quit cardboard furniture altogether by 1982, eventually giving the rights to Vitra, where the Wiggle Chair still is manufactured to this day. [6]

In the 1990s, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, recognized for his architecture using paper tubes, [7] created furniture pieces which later resulted in his "Carta Collection" in 2016. [8] Between 2001 and 2002, IKEA started to replace the core of selected designs with cardboard in order to reduce costs for the consumer and contribute to sustainability. [9] In 2010, British designer Giles Miller created a pop-up store for Stella McCartney in Paris, using cardboard furniture. [10] For the 2020 Tokyo Olympics cardboard beds were used in the athlete's accommodations, [11] creating a media discussion whether or not these beds were made to prevent the athletes from having sexual intercourse. [12] [13] [14]

Consumer market

Cardboard furniture mainly is classified as ready-to-assemble furniture (RTA), taking advantage of the low weight of cardboard and the ability to flatpack easily. As of 2020, the RTA consumer market in the USA alone was estimated to be worth 13.8 billion dollars [16] with large companies being less dominant than widely expected, but facing competition from regional chains, making drop shipping economically interesting for smaller companies. [17] The 2021 European Union market is estimated to be worth over 15 billion Euro. [18] Furthermore, cardboard furniture generally appeals to a younger demographic, such as Millennials or Gen-Z, [19] leaving potential for growth. At this point, none of the major furniture producers has entered the cardboard furniture market.

However, whether cardboard furniture only remains a trend or not is still debated. [20] [21]

Products and material

The market offers various cardboard furniture designs, such as beds, benches, chairs, shelves, stools, tables, and many more. Not all types of cardboard can be used for every type of furniture. Generally, to make cardboard furniture, heavy paperboard, corrugated fibreboard (including inverted corrugated board), honeycomb cardboard and core material without a liner are all being used. Also, the liner can alternate between Test- and Kraftliner, depending on the design.

Perception of cardboard furniture

Cardboard as a material generally is viewed negatively when used as a primary material for furniture [22] or as a building material in general. [23] Several studies and research programs have been conducted, entering not only into structural questions, but also questions of acceptance. Examples are programs such as BAMP at the University of Darmstadt, [24] the CATSE program at ETH Zürich, [25] Cardboard Technical Research and Developments at TU Delft [26] and others. One potential reason is the widely fragmented cardboard industry with thin corrugated cardboard used for packaging as the primary material for potential consumers to mainly get in contact with, depreciating the material in consumers perception in general without differentiating between cheap packaging material and high-performance paper-boards. [27]

On the design side, a 2018 study at GuangDong University of Technology researched consumer perception of cardboard furniture depending on the design using eye tracking technology. [28] The researchers found that simpler, more familiar shapes are more likely to lead to a positive purchasing decisions, with recognition of familiar shapes as a driving factor. However, this study has been conducted in China. Therefore the cultural background in comparison to western consumption behaviour must be taken into consideration. [29]

In order to elevate the perception of cardboard furniture, German-Canadian design studio Nordwerk Design published construction plans for cardboard furniture for free in 2020, arguing that it requires a critical mass of consumers to lead to a shift in the general perception and that this only can be achieved by getting as much quality design out as possible. [30] [31]

See also

Literature

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrugated fiberboard</span> Composite paper material

Corrugated fiberboard or corrugated cardboard is a type of packaging material consisting of a fluted corrugated sheet and one or two flat linerboards. It is made on "flute lamination machines" or "corrugators" and is used for making corrugated boxes. The corrugated medium sheet and the linerboard(s) are made of kraft containerboard, a paperboard material usually over 0.25 millimetres (0.01 in) thick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Box</span> Type of container

A box is a container with rigid sides used for the storage or transportation of its contents. Most boxes have flat, parallel, rectangular sides. Boxes can be very small or very large and can be used for a variety of purposes, from functional to decorative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paperboard</span> Thick paper-based material

Paperboard is a thick paper-based material. While there is no rigid differentiation between paper and paperboard, paperboard is generally thicker than paper and has certain superior attributes such as foldability and rigidity. According to ISO standards, paperboard is a paper with a grammage above 250 g/m2, but there are exceptions. Paperboard can be single- or multi-ply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carton</span> Type of domestic container

A carton is a box or container usually made of liquid packaging board, paperboard and sometimes of corrugated fiberboard. Many types of cartons are used in packaging. Sometimes a carton is also called a box.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paper pallet</span> Pallet made from paperboard

A paper pallet or ecopallet is a shipping or display pallet made from paperboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardboard box</span> Type of packaging

Cardboard boxes are industrially prefabricated boxes, primarily used for packaging goods and materials. Specialists in industry seldom use the term cardboard because it does not denote a specific material. The term cardboard may refer to a variety of heavy paper-like materials, including card stock, corrugated fiberboard, and paperboard. Cardboard boxes can be readily recycled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiberboard</span> Engineered wood product made out of wood fibers

Fiberboard or fibreboard is a type of engineered wood product that is made out of wood fibers. Types of fiberboard include particle board or low-density fiberboard (LDF), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and hardboard or high-density fiberboard (HDF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easy Edges</span> Series of furniture designs by Frank Gehry

Easy Edges is the name given to a series of furniture designs by Frank Gehry from 1969 to 1973. These early designs were partially responsible for Gehry's rise to public recognition in the early 1970s. After discovering that corrugated cardboard layered enough times in alternate directions builds strength into the piece and make it suitable for the everyday use, Gehry created a series of pieces of furniture such as the "Easy Edges Wiggle Side Chair" that take advantage of the versatility of cardboard as a medium.

Skin pack, or skin packaging, is a type of carded packaging where a product is placed on a piece of paperboard or in trays, and a thin sheet of transparent plastic is placed over the product and paperboard or trays. The printed paperboard/tray usually has a heat-seal coating. The plastic film is softened by heat and draped over the product on the card/tray. Vacuum is used to assist a firm fit. The film bonds to the heat-seal coating on the paperboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulk box</span> Pallet-size shipping box

A bulk box, also known as a bulk bin, skid box, pallet box, bin box, gaylord, or octabin, is a pallet-size box used for storage and shipping of bulk or packaged goods. Bulk boxes can be designed to hold many different types of items such as plastic pellets, watermelons, electronic components, and even liquids; some bulk boxes are stackable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folding carton</span> Type of paperboard packaging

The folding carton created the packaging industry as it is known today, beginning in the late 19th century. The process involves folding carton made of paperboard that is printed, laminated, cut, then folded and glued. The cartons are shipped flat to a packager, which has its own machinery to fold the carton into its final shape as a container for a product. An example of such a carton is a cereal box.

Cardboard is a generic term for a heavy-duty paper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padded envelope</span> Envelope with protective padding to protect items during shipping

A padded envelope, also known as a padded or cushioned mailer, or jiffy bag in the United Kingdom, is an envelope incorporating protective padding to protect items during shipping. The padding is usually thick paper, bubble wrap, or foam.

The wet strength of paper and paperboard is a measure of how well the web of fibers holding the paper together can resist a force of rupture when the paper is wet. Wet strength is routinely expressed as the ratio of wet to dry tensile force at break.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardboard</span> Heavy-duty paper of various strengths

Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light brown in color, depending on the specific product; dyes, pigments, printing, and coatings are available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-pack</span> Packaging that combines or holds multiple items or smaller packages

A multi-pack also known as multipack is packaging that combines or holds multiple items or smaller packages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic container</span>

Plastic containers are containers made exclusively or partially of plastic. Plastic containers are ubiquitous either as single-use or reuseable/durable plastic cups, plastic bottles, plastic bags, foam food containers, Tupperware, plastic tubes, clamshells, cosmetic containers, up to intermediate bulk containers and various types of containers made of corrugated plastic. The entire packaging industry heavily depends on plastic containers or containers with some plastic content, besides paperboard and other materials. Food storage nowadays relies mainly on plastic food storage containers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Package handle</span> Packaging component

Package handles, or carriers, are used to help people use packaging. They are designed to simplify and to improve the ergonomics of lifting and carrying packages. Handles on consumer packages add convenience and help facilitate use and pouring. The effect of handles on package material costs and the packaging line efficiencies are also critical. A handle can be defined as “an accessory attached to a container or part for the purpose of holding or carrying.” Sometimes a handle can be used to hang a package for dispensing or use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overpackaging</span> Use of excess packaging

Overpackaging is the use of excess packaging. The Institute of Packaging Professionals defines overpackaging as “a condition where the methods and materials used to package an item exceed the requirements for adequate containment, protection, transport, and sale”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Closed-loop box reuse</span> Business practice

Closed Loop Box Reuse, is the process by which boxes or other containers are reused many times. It is a form of reusable packaging.

References

  1. ↑ Soroka, Walter (2008). Walter Soroka, Illustrated Glossary of Packaging Terminology, p. 154. ISBN   9781930268272.
  2. ↑ "Domes". Buckminster Fuller Institute. 2022-02-11. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  3. ↑ "Stabiler Otto". Der Spiegel (in German). 1968-01-21. ISSN   2195-1349 . Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  4. ↑ "Design Moment: Wiggle Chair, 1972". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  5. ↑ Skurica, Norma (1972-04-09). "Paper furniture for penny pinchers". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  6. ↑ "The Story Behind Frank Gehry's Iconic Wiggle Design". Architectural Digest. 2018-12-19. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  7. ↑ "Cardboard: From Industrial Workhouse to Shigeru Ban's Master Material". ArchDaily. 2019-03-24. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  8. ↑ "Shigeru Ban CARTA collection for wb form is made of paper tubes". ArchiPanic. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  9. ↑ "These Ikea Items Are Cheaper Than They Were 30 Years Ago. Here's Why". HuffPost. 2015-06-12. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  10. ↑ "Pop-up store for Stella McCartney by Giles Miller". Dezeen. 2010-07-05. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  11. ↑ "Airweave creates cardboard beds for athletes at Tokyo 2020 Olympics". Dezeen. 2021-07-11. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  12. ↑ Gilbert, Asha C. "No, the cardboard beds athletes are sleeping on at the Tokyo Olympics aren't 'anti-sex'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  13. ↑ "Athletes offer behind-the-scenes look at the Olympic Village on TikTok, from cardboard beds to deep-fried Camembert". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  14. ↑ TODAY • •, Chrissy Callahan |. "The Cardboard Beds at the Olympics Aren't Meant to Prevent Sex — Here's the Truth". NBC New York. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  15. ↑ Interlux Chair by Manfred Kielnhofer using paper tubes
  16. ↑ cycles, This text provides general information Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct Due to varying update; Text, Statistics Can Display More up-to-Date Data Than Referenced in the. "Topic: RTA Furniture in the U.S." Statista. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  17. ↑ Harris, Malcolm (2016-11-10). "How Furniture Makers Are Catering to Millennials". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  18. ↑ "The European market for RTA furniture". www.meblepolska.pl. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  19. ↑ Kestenbaum, Richard. "Give Consumers What They Want: Cardboard Furniture". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  20. ↑ "Cardboard Furniture Is Going Viral—But Is It Here to Stay?". Architectural Digest. 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  21. ↑ Slack, Hugh Metcalf published Contributions from Megan (2022-05-24). "Cardboard furniture is trending - meet the designers creating innovative decor with this sustainable material". livingetc.com. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  22. ↑ "Cardboard Furniture Is Going Viral—But Is It Here to Stay?". Architectural Digest. 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  23. ↑ Research, Enquiry The ARCC Journal for Architectural (2021-08-11). "Cardboard Architecture | Enquiry The ARCC Journal for Architectural Research".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  24. ↑ BAMP!, Building with paper-. "BAMP Startseite". Building with paper - BAMP! – TU Darmstadt. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
  25. ↑ Ayan, Özlem (2009). Cardboard in architectural technology and structural engineering: a conceptual approach to cardboard buildings in architecture (Doctoral Thesis thesis). ETH Zurich.
  26. ↑ Pijpers, R.J.M.; Kolstein, M.H.; Romeijn, A.; Bijlaard, F.S.K. (2009), "Fatigue Experiments on Very High Strength Steel Base Material and Transverse Butt Welds", Volume 5 Number 1, The Hong Kong Institute of Steel Construction, pp. 14–32, doi: 10.18057/ijasc.2009.5.1.2 , retrieved 2022-06-25
  27. ↑ Soroka, Walter (2008). Illustrated Glossary of Packaging Terminology. DEStech Publications, Inc. ISBN   978-1-930268-27-2.
  28. ↑ "The visual perception of the cardboard porduct using eye-tracking technology".
  29. ↑ "Comparing Chinese and Western consumer habits | What marketers should know". Daxue Consulting - Market Research China. 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  30. ↑ Furger, Claudia. "Möbel aus Karton: Nicht nur praktisch, sondern auch schön". NZZ Bellevue (in German). Retrieved 2022-06-24.
  31. ↑ "You can Build This MC 302 Cardboard Armchair by Nordwerk at Home". Homecrux. 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2022-06-24.
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