Teaching by Example

Edited by Sheila Kim-Jamet -- Interior Design, 10/1/2005 12:00:00 AM

At the Rhode Island School of Design, three faculty members are practicing what they preach. John Dunnigan, Rosanne Somerson, and Peter Walker—who all teach furniture design—have gotten together as a collective called Dezco to design eco-friendly furniture for the 197 apartment-style units in a new RISD residence hall in downtown Providence. The Sage line of chairs, chests, couches, tables, and beds greeted 500 students when the dorm opened for the 2005-2006 academic year.

Dezco limited its furniture frames to sustainable bamboo or beech and upholstery to recycled polyester. The designers also used a new type of MDF, made with nontoxic binders. All the products are now available from manufacturers Adden Furniture and Bergeron Enterprises.