Cork College of FET Tramore Road Campus
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Cork College of FET Tramore Road Campus
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Cork College of FET Tramore Road Campus
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Furniture Design & Making 1

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INTRODUCTION:

This course allows you to learn an amazing craft while exploring your creativity. Through our workshop-based learning you can develop competency with hand tools and woodworking machinery. From traditional woodworking methods, progress to machine and digital fabrication in our fully equipped workshops and studio spaces. You will also learn life drawing, technical graphics and CAD tools which support your design and making process.

Our workshop is more than an educational space, it is a creative environment where you learn as much from your class colleagues as you do from the tutors. Work experience, field trips and expert talks complete the experience.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

  • Leaving Certificate or equivalent.
  • All applicants are interviewed, and places are awarded on suitability.
  • Mature students without formal qualifications are most welcome to apply.

DURATION:

This is a one-year course but students on successful completion of year one may progress to Furniture Design & Making 2.

FEES:

  • Student Services: €250
  • QQI exam fees: €50*
  • Facilities / Class Materials: €250
    Total: €550

Please note that only debit cards/visa/mastercard payments are acceptable for payment. The College cannot accept cash/cheque.

* Note: Students with medical cards are exempt from paying the QQI exam fee.

CERTIFICATION:

  • QQI Level 5 in Furniture Design & Making (5M2012).

COURSE CONTENT:

The following subjects may be offered:

Furniture Making - 5N1275

The heart of the furniture making course is the bench work. Here you will use all the traditional main woodworking hand tools accurately and precisely to achieve professional standard of woodwork. You will also learn how to use woodwork machinery to process rough timber making it ready for joining and shaping at the bench. Colouring and finishing by hand or in the spray booth will also be part of your skillset.

Design Skills - 5N0784

Design is taught across the two furniture years. In year 1 you will learn a process for generating patterns, harnessing inspiration and developing your own project ideas. Your work in this class flows into the workshop where it is refined and finally realised as furniture pieces.

Drawing - 5N1862

Makers and designers communicate in drawing, it’s their first language. Through life drawing and sketching you will learn how to capture the world on paper, how to visualise ideas and present them to others. On the drawing pad is where most projects are born. You will also learn technical graphics to capture and communicate size and shape of furniture pieces and to finalise details of construction. This is an essential skill and is transferrable to many workshop and engineering activities.

Computer Aided Design (2D) - 5N1604

CAD is the digital version of technical graphics, and in a digital world it has become hugely important as a means of specifying and distributing plans. You will use this for conventional workshop drawings, for communication to clients, and increasingly for our rapid prototyping equipment including 3D printer and laser cutter. Also widely used in construction, engineering, architecture and product design.

Materials and Finishes - 5N1456

This component complements the wood-based workshop elements of the course by exploring a range of materials, their properties and uses in furniture design. These practical exercises also introduce our 3D printing and laser cutting equipment, opening up new approaches to design and manufacture. The subject is rounded off with a comprehensive introduction to a variety of wood finishes, ranging from traditional oil through to modern spray finishes in our fully equipped spray booth.

Problem Solving - 5N1615

The purpose of this award is to equip the learner with the knowledge, skill and competence to practice effective problem solving in everyday life and vocationally specific contexts, operating independently while under general direction.

Work Experience - 5N1356

Becoming immersed in real world studios and workshops is an invaluable means of learning your trade. One day a week you will be in a professional workshop assisting on live projects. We will help you find a suitable match to your interests.

EDUCATION PROGRESSION OPPORTUNITIES:

For full details on progression opportunities see these links:

Excellent progressions opportunities including:

  • Cork College of FET, Tramore Road Campus: Furniture Design & Making 2.
  • ATU: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Furniture Design and Manufacture, ATU, Galway (AU681).
  • ATU: Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Furniture Making and Architectural Woodworking, ATU, Galway (AU682).
  • ATU: Furniture Design, Making and Technology, ATU, Galway (AU683).

Students who wish to use the links to further studies will need to attain a certain level of achievement in their QQI award.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES:

Career opportunities exist as furniture makers in furniture workshops or as self-employed makers after a suitable period of professional experience. Skills learned on the course are also relevant to a range of wood-based trades, interior design, fitting and product design activities.

TESTIMONIALS & HIGHLIGHTS:

Graduates:

Alexia Rouvrais

Furniture Design & Making 1

Tadgh Moriarty

Furniture Design & Making 1

CONTACT DETAILS:

Vicky Walsh, Course Director
Email: victoria.walsh@csn.ie
Tel: (021) 2067 617