1. 1
DIS Architecture and Design Spring 2014
Furniture Design in Denmark Workshop
www.DISabroad.org
Faculty: Lars Hansen
Natalie Jeffers
Course Assistant: Dani Hill
Meeting Location: V7 - Basement Classroom
Length of Course: 23 January - 20 March
Meeting Time: M/Th 16:25-20:30
Course Description
In this course, we take a modern and practical approach to the
prototyping of new chair designs. Utilizing pre-formed veneer shells
and chair components and standard chair bases, we will focus on
designing readily—and realistically— producible furniture. Form and
design inspiration will be crucial to developing a successful chair that is
distinctive in an increasingly standardized industry.
We will start with lectures detailing the social, political and practical
developments behind the idea of ‘design mass-produced’ and develop
chair designs within this ideology that are at once modern, unique,
considered and resolved. In keeping with the New Nordic movement in
design, we will repurpose and refresh existing typologies in a new light.
This will include selecting color-ways for the chairs, and part of the final
design will be a proposed color palette for production, including one
color or pattern selected and applied to the students’ chairs for the final
presentation.
We will visit various manufacturers and producers of chairs and chair
parts, and use elements from two major sources for the Danish furniture
industry: shells and seat components from Midform (www.midform.dk),
and leg and base components from J.M. Rør (www.jmror.dk).
Prerequisites
Students must be enrolled in a professional school or department of
architecture or design at the junior, senior, or graduate level. Prior
experience with furniture design, stationary power tools, and hand tools
is required. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis through
the Architecture & Design department. Enrollment is limited due to
restricted workshop space.
Course Objectives
• familiarize students with the history and philosophy of Danish furniture
design
• understand the significance of designing within industry parameters
• understand and explore the collaboration between designers and
manufacturers in Denmark
• develop a 1:1 prototype of a chair for outdoor use
• research color trends and apply a unique color concept to the chair
3 Credits

2. 2
DIS Architecture and Design Spring 2014
Furniture Design in Denmark Workshop
www.DISabroad.org
Required Readings
All readings must be completed before the class for which they are
assigned. Readings can be found on DIS Forum (Blackboard) or on reserve
in the Library.
Approach to Teaching
The time spent in the studio and workshop, refining the design and
incorporating practical considerations and proportions are integral to
our process. Designing furniture is not about a unique concept or perfect
working drawing, and students will not simply be making a model of
their designs, but making functional chairs. Outside of class, students are
expected to continue to explore and expand their sources of inspiration,
making sketches of furniture, architecture, plant life or patterns—all of
which will contribute to an informed and successful design.
A chair will be considered successful if its story and design development
are compelling, it is comfortable and functional, and it makes creative
use of the pre-formed materials provided.
Expectations of Students
As the students’ ability to articulate and communicate their process is
an important objective, in-class contribution, reading, and independent
studies, as well as sketching at museums and showrooms are the basis of
the course. Workshop time is limited, so students must be prepared to
work intensely and independently during these periods.
Field Studies
The class will visit manufacturers, museums and showrooms in Greater
Copenhagen.
Evaluation and Grading
The students will be evaluated on their ability to critically assess and
develop their designs. Grades will be based on the following:
10% Engagement and participation
30% Critical evaluation and concept development
30% Design and workshop process
30% Final presentation and product

3. 3
DIS Architecture and Design Spring 2014
Furniture Design in Denmark Workshop
www.DISabroad.org
Shipping the Chair Home
If students are interested in shipping their chairs home after the
semester, DIS will help to facilitate shipping arrangements. The cost of
shipping the chair home is not covered in the tuition fee.
Disability and Resource Statement:
Any student who has need for accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should contact Sean Green (sgr@dis.dk) to coordinate this. In
order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor
of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.
Policies
Attendance
This course is an intensive half-semester. It is therefore imperative that
you not miss lectures, studio hours, or workshop sessions. Previous
semesters have demonstrated that every session is necessary to
complete a chair.
Standard DIS attendance policy for full semester courses dictates that
you are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled. If you miss
two classes the Director of Teaching and Learning, and the Director
of Student Affairs will be notified and they will follow-up with you to
make sure that all is well. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your
standing at DIS. Allowances will be made in cases of illness, but you will
need to provide a doctor’s note.
Academic Honesty
DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual
honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own
designs and work, and that they credit all work or thought taken from
others. Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and
can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified.
DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments
be turned in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection
software. See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your
instructor if you have questions.
Electronic Devices
Electronic devices are only permitted in class and on field studies when
directly related to in-class exercises.

4. 4
DIS Architecture and Design Spring 2014
Furniture Design in Denmark Workshop Schedule
Day Date Session Time Topic
Th 23 Jan 01 16.25-17.00 Introduction
Location: V7 Basement
17.10-19.45 Tradition, Transformation, Testing
Lecturer (to be confirmed): Courtney Coyne-Jensen
A introduction to Danish furniture design’s so-called ‘Golden Age’, with a
focus on historical continuity, precedent transformations, and material
innovations
Required readings:
• Krogh, Erik Space – in and around the chair (2007)
• Mollerup, Per. Collapsibles.
• Mollerup, Per. Offspring, Danish Chairs with Foreign Ancestors In
Mobilia 315/316 1984 pp. 7-9, 21-40, 63-70.
• Møller, Henrik Steen. Danish Design. Rhodos, 1975.
Mo 27 Jan 02 16.25-17.25 Furniture Design Lecture
Location: V7 Basement
Lecturer: Natalie Jeffers
17.35-18.35 Design and pattern in CPH
18.45-20.00 Presentation of CPH study sketches
Wed 29 Jan Field Study 8:30-12:30 Fritz Hansen - To be confirmed
Th 30 Jan 03 16.25-20.00 Studio: sketches and sketch models
Location: V7 Basement
03 Feb - 08 Feb Short tour: independent sketching on tour
Mo 10 Feb 04 16.25-20.00 Studio: design development
Th 13 Feb 05 16.25-20.00 Studio: 1:1 drawings
Mo 17 Feb 06 16.25-20.30 Workshop
Location: Statens Værksteder for Kunst, Strandgade 27b (svfk.dk)
Th 20 Feb 08 16.25-20.30 Workshop
Mo 24 Feb 09 16.25-20.30 Workshop
Th 27 Feb 10 16.25-20.30 Workshop
01 Mar – 09 Mar Travel week: independent color research on tour
Mo 10 Mar 11 16.25-20.30 Workshop
Th 13 Mar 12 16.25-20.30 Workshop
Mo 17 Mar 13 16.25-20.30 Workshop
Th 20 Mar 15 16.25-20.30 Final Presentations
Location: to be announced on Forum
Schedule subject to change with as much notice as possible. All future
edits to the syllabus will be made on DIS Forum only.
www.DISabroad.org