Product design student transforms red oak tree into functional work bar
Chase Lobaldo, 3rd year product design student, was working in the Fabrication Lab at the University of Kentucky’s College of Design, when the Office of Sustainability approached him with a clear goal in mind: create a multi-person workspace where students, employees, and visitors can work and conversate in front of the large glass windows overlooking the intersection of S Limestone and S Upper.
Lobaldo transformed raw materials from a red oak tree that unfortunately had to be removed from campus into a functional work bar. In order to preserve that tree’s legacy, the Campus Woods program worked to recover the lumber from the tree for use in campus projects. Now, what once provided shade and shelter outdoors supports all manner of everyday work in the office.
