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Proving the adage that size isn't everything, Nelson, BC (population 9,700) is home to winners of the first and second biennial Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo (WMS) furniture design competition.
The first competition, held in October 1999, was won by students from Selkirk College, and this year by students from Kootenay Schools of the Arts (KSA).
2001 competion
KSA students Leigh Mayoh, Ava Gervais and Lisa Sholter won $200, two DeWalt power tools and shipping expenses from Blum Canada for their design.
The task assigned to this year's students was "to design a home office piece that is multi-functional and would be suitable for a loft or small space."
Their solution to accommodate a lap top computer and periperals emphasized portability (the unit has wheels). Dubbed the "Dot Comrad" by the team, the unit is constructed from moulded birch veneer with shelves to store printer, fax machine, paper, CDs, etc. The typical end user wheels the Dot Comrad from a closet or other storage space to an existing work surface, such as a table, when computer work is required.
Surveying the marketplace, the students found no other products to match the Dot Comrad and intend to investigate producing and marketing their home office space-saver.
1999 competition
Selkirk College (Fine Woodworking) students Micha Forrestell and Tim DuPlessis won the same prizes as this year's KSA students. Their design challenge was to build a table from one sheet of MDF and one sheet of high-pressure laminate. Their sophisticated yellow and black angular table is shown above.
VCR wishes to thank KSA instructor Peter Galonski and Selkirk College instructor Michael Grace for providing information for this article.
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2001 furniture design competition winners (left to right) Leigh Mayoh, Ava Gervais and Lisa Sholter with their computer storage unit.
1999 winning entry from Selkirk college students Micha Forrestell and Tim DuPlessis.
New Marketing Guide
The KSA Wood Products Design Centre has released its latest publication.
The guide is a directory of marketing information for residential furniture manufacturers and designers in North America.
Cost: $45 CAD (BC), $60 CAD (other Canadian provinces). Contact
John Lerner for more details.
(Update: KSA Wood Products Design program has closed.)
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