UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 19 JULY 2016
Second year students on the BA (Hons) Product Design programme at Birmingham School of Architecture and Design have collaborated with external manufacturing company Tri-Wall, with the resulting work being showcased in Hong Kong at The Good Design Store at PMQ between 3 June and 14 July.
The live brief
The project, forming part of a second year Product Design module, provided students with the chance to work on a live brief using the company’s corrugated sheet product and investigating how it can be applied to a number of design solutions, including disaster relief emergency shelters, children’s play equipment and household items.
Final year students
Initially the relationship took form as a two-week programme targeted at third year School for Higher and Professional Education (SHAPE) students on the Product Design course taught at the Hong Kong Design Institute (KHDI), which runs parallel with Birmingham School of Architecture and Design’s UK programme. Wayne Pottinger, Level 5 Co-ordinator for Product Design said:
"As the UK-based students approached the end of the project, the collaborative results proved so successful that Tri- Wall and Birmingham School of Architecture and Design implemented a collaborative exhibition in The Good Design Store at PMQ, which would showcase the resulting design work of both UK-based second year students and third year students studying the course in Hong Kong.”
Tri-Wall
Tri-Wall is a market leader in cardboard manufacture and construction, making its products in Monmouth, Wales and holding its international headquarters in Hong Kong.
Guest speakers
As part of the collaborative exhibition, Wayne Pottinger gave a talk via Skype on the opening of the event, with other speakers including representatives of Tri-Wall from Hong Kong and the UK, as well as students and designers. Wayne added:
“I handled the selection of work and the logistics of sending out physical objects produced by UK-based students as part of the Tri-Wall collaboration, whilst the designing of the exhibition space and selection of Hong Kong-based project work was undertaken by staff at SHAPE.
“One of the most interesting project outcomes, was a disaster shelter designed by Product Design student Thom Hughes. This project was especially well received and due to this Thom made the decision to travel over to Hong Kong to help setup the exhibition, talk about his project and make invaluable contacts with Tri-Wall.”
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