Students Transform TimberFever Materials into Sustainable Furniture at Lab2Market Exhibition

A group of students from across Toronto have turned discarded materials into sustainable, functional furniture as part of the Lab2Market exhibition, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on October 30-31, 2024. Under the theme "Reclaim the Future with Furniture," the project showcased how creativity and sustainability can drive innovation in design and manufacturing.

The initiative was led by Khushi Gandhi, Tabitha Grant, and Torrey Sirdevan, who collaborated to repurpose structures from TimberFever, an annual design-build competition that brings together architecture and engineering students from across North America. Gandhi, who served as the Architecture Chair for TimberFever, was approached by Grant and Sirdevan—both Learning and Recruitment Specialists—who saw an opportunity to extend the competition’s impact beyond the event itself.

The result was a month-long effort at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Design Fabrication Zone (DFZ), where three teams of students worked to transform salvaged materials into furniture pieces reflecting three key themes:

• Advanced Health and Life Sciences
• Sustainability and Clean Technology
• Advanced Manufacturing and Materials

These projects were featured as part of a larger exhibition that explored how creativity can shape a more sustainable and technologically advanced future. “This wasn’t just about making furniture,” said Gandhi. “It was about showing that discarded materials can have a second life, and that sustainability and design can go hand in hand.” Students from various schools, some with TimberFever experience and others drawn to the project’s mission, collaborated under tight deadlines to reimagine the raw materials. The final pieces, displayed at the convention centre, demonstrated craftsmanship, resourcefulness, and a commitment to environmental responsibility.

For the organizers, the success of the project highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and hands-on learning. “We saw students bring together engineering, architecture, and design thinking to create something truly impactful,” said Sirdevan. “It’s exciting to think about how this approach could be applied to other industries and projects.” As visitors explored the exhibition, the message was clear: innovation isn’t just about new materials—it’s about rethinking what’s already available. With sustainability at the forefront of design, reclaiming the future starts today.