Extracurricular Design

Portfolio Center students rallied to enter a whopping 30 submissions for Design Within Reach’s 2006 Champagne chair student competition—and this at the crucial end-stage of a busy summer quarter.

Students were allowed to use the corks, labels, and wire from two champagne bottles. Except for glue, no other materials were permissible, including tape or paint, and the models could be no taller than four inches. The project was quite a challenge of the imagination, yet the variety of executions was mind-boggling.

Competing against SCAD, Portfolio Center took all three awards, with third place going to copywriter Craig Lennie, second to designer Scott Gundersen, and the top prize to designer Banu Randall for her chair "Bubbles of Love," pictured above.

Contestants and friends were treated to a champagne reception Saturday, June 10, at the beautiful Design Within Reach Studio in Buckhead.