Explore the work of Italian designer Enzo Mari, who, in his 1974 book Autoprogettazione? (Self-Design), challenged us to rethink how we create and furnish our spaces. By offering 19 minimalist, functional designs, Mari proposed “a basic technique to let everyone view current production with a critical eye.” 50 years later, it’s still a radical idea: we each know what we need, and with basic tools and materials, we can build it ourselves. This class is about empowering you to take control of your living environment. We will be thinking big, working fast, and creating what we need.
Learn. This class focuses on essential design & woodworking techniques, exploring form and proportion, plan reading, construction principles, and simple hand tool work. You’ll learn to work with skills you may already have – sawing, drilling hammering – to build sturdy, elemental furniture. Together, these skills will help you move from concept to creation on this and future projects.
In addition, through readings and discussion, we will explore the centuries old tradition of self-design and local production and find viable alternatives to our culture of mass consumption.
Make. Choose at least one project from the 19 designs featured in Mari’s Autoprogettazione book. Whether it’s a chair, table, bookshelf, bench, or something else, you’ll make a piece that reflects your needs and creativity. The projects are designed to be adaptable, so you can customize them to your space and style.
5 SESSIONS: June 23 – 27
Monday through Friday | 9:30am – 4:30pm | Class will break for a 1/2 hour lunch each day.
Cost: $795 non-members; $675.75 members
