Self-Sufficient Furniture Design for Farmers in Rural China for Contemporary Living

摘要

The objective of this research is encouraging villagers to be less dependent on outside goods and services, and embracing a more sustainable lifestyle of their own. The first task of this research is learning from several selected outdated furniture in the village and proposing prototypes that are more suitable to the contemporary living styles, while retaining the functionality, workmanship skills, and cultural traditions. This research identifies certain traditional carpentry skills used by village carpenters and demonstrates how their techniques and traditional materials can be adapted to create modern designs that meet these villagers' needs and withstand the harsh environmental conditions. Using ethnographic research, the research illuminates some of the ways the farmers' use their existing furniture, and specifies how the new furniture will meet their needs. The designs that are developed retain the functionality and beauty of traditional forms, and at the same time, upgrade the rural living environment.