School seating
Joseph Poloie
Wellington College
Year 13 Technology
Three terms 2006
Teacher: Matthew Lane
After completing his Year 12 Technology assignment for the nearby St Mark's Church School, Joseph Poloie wanted his Year 13 project to be based within the College. Two deputy principals agreed to act as clients representing the College, and after several meetings to discuss potential needs around the school, it was agreed that student seating was the most pressing. Joseph was asked to design school seating for the outside of the Maths and Technology block.
Technology teacher Matthew Lane says Joseph's ability to talk with students and staff and understand their needs and wants and ideas was exemplary.
"Planning was essential to the task and was conducted thoroughly," he says. "Organising and rationalising his research and testing ergonomic data became a vital component. This project introduced Joseph to a range of new processes he had not previously experienced in his technology class. These he managed well."
After examining design ideas and trialling some of these with models, it became clear that the client wasn't fully satisfied. Joseph had to extend his proposed design and make it vandal-proof. Joseph placed acrylic between the wooden slats of the seat to maintain its style and sense of space and to frustrate the student habit of stuffing waste between the slats of conventional outdoor seating.
Most of the processes used to build the seat were new to Joseph, and he spent hours after school for mastering workshop machinery to ensure he achieved the best results possible. Matthew Lane says the final prototype fulfilled the client's specifications 'superbly' and exceeded their expectations.
"The standards that he met were high and through countless hours of designing, modifying and constructing he achieved this.
"Joseph personified the model Technology student: one who seeks the advice of many, reflects on their technological practice, considers the opinions of all stakeholders and is willing to continually test, trial and modify their work."
Related links: Size is No Object case study
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