2006 International Aluminum Extrusion Design Competition

Student Class Winning Entries

1st Place: Eden Modular Garden Trellis System) -Jessina Corbett and Modular Arch Construction Set-Jennifer Harmon, both from Purdue University
2nd Place: Vertical Oil-Filled Electric Heater-Sal Pietrzyk, University of Bridgeport
3rd Place: Cool Running Laptop Cooler)-Keehoon Yoo, Purdue University

Hydro Sustainable Design Award: Winner: Modular Arch Construction Set-Jennifer Harmon, Purdue University

1st Place: Shared by two students from Purdue University-Eden Modular Garden Trellis System, submitted by Jessina Corbett, industrial design student and Modular Arch Construction Set, submitted by Jennifer Harmon, computer science student

First Place in the Student Class, with a $3,000 cash prize, was awarded on a shared basis to two students from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana for two separate, but related, entries. Jessina Corbett, an industrial design student, conceptualized a modular trellis system she named Eden. "This system can be fashioned into a large or small trellis, and can also be angled up or down (due to the octagonal cross bar and mating surface of bracket) depending upon the users' needs," Corbett explained. "Eden is composed of two extruded aluminum parts (the cross bar and the bracket) in multiples (as needed for modularity), four wooden posts, and multiple end caps."

Jennifer Harmon, a computer science student, took Corbett's idea and expanded it with the Modular Arch Construction Set. "The starting point for this design was a visually appealing extrusion project of an acquaintance, Jessina Corbett," explained Harmon. "Where she saw an eye-catching and utilitarian trellis design - worthy in its own right for its purpose - we saw a foundation for refugee housing that could take advantage of the inherent structural strength of an arch. With some thought we were able to completely start anew to create a design capable of producing long arches of nearly any size and shape." The design allows for the arches to be topped with roofing material ranging from a plastic tarp to a variety of rigid yet pliable materials such as metal, plastic, insulation, or even faux rock. "These changes not only altered the core mechanism of the design, they also widely expanded the product's end functionality, and Ms. Corbett encouraged us to enter the new design into the competition as well," Harmon explained. Harmon's design can be quickly constructed with self-supporting paneled curves consisting of joints of any angle. "This results in arched cylindrical domes of nearly any diameter (2ft to 130+ft), curvature (concave or convex), and unlimited length and width-all without power or hand tools," noted Harmon. "This design is innovative," commented Rosario. "The genius is that it covers multiple markets and applications." "Quick assembly and light weight are a plus, and using different roofing materials truly make this an erector set," said Ellis.

2nd Place: Vertical Oil-Filled Electric Heater, submitted by Sal Pietrzyk, industrial design student at University of Bridgeport

Second Place in the Student Class, with a cash prize of $2,000, was awarded to Sal Pietrzyk, a senior studying industrial design at the University of Bridgeport in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He submitted three different designs for an oiled-filled electric heater but the judges felt his vertical heater was the best of the three designs. "This design is very practical and easy to assemble," said Rosario. A heating element is mounted from the bottom in the aluminum extruded core filled with oil. The core features outer fins, which dissipate the heat into the air, while the inner fins draw heat from the oil; a simple computer fan mounted below the core forces air from the bottom through the extruded aluminum housing. "The core features innovative inner fins, which provide extra surface area and make the heater more efficient," noted Pietrzyk.

3rd Place: Cool Running Laptop Cooler-Keehoon Yoo, industrial design student at Purdue University

Third Place in the Student Class, with a cash prize of $1,000, was awarded to Keehoon Yoo, a graduate student studying industrial design at Purdue University. Yoo's concept of "Cool Running," a laptop cooler, caught the judge's attention. "This is a unique design; it's very practical and uses the heat sink concept to dissipate heat," explained Ellis. Cool Running prevents a laptop computer from overheating by increasing the air gap between the notebook and the work surface. "The streamlined design creates a tilt, [which] protects furniture from heat damage and prevents liquid spills.while rubber pads prevent the laptop from sliding around the desk," explained Yoo.

Hydro Sustainable Award

In addition to the First Place Student Prize, Harmon was presented with the Hydro Sustainable Design Award for her Modular Arch Construction Set, which earned her an additional $2,000 cash prize. "While the designer outlined a wide range of potential applications for this system, its use in disaster relief situations was obviously a driving force in its development," commented Sustainable Design Award judge Lynn Brown, Vice President of Communications and External Affairs for Hydro Aluminum North America in Linthicum, Maryland. "From the emphasis on an assembly process that eliminates the need for tools, to providing for the use of readily available tarps for "roofing," the realities of disaster situations were clearly reflected in the end design. With this focus, we felt the design best yielded the societal or environmental benefit which the Hydro Sustainability Design Award was created to address. We were similarly impressed by the rigor of the thought process and the creative use of extrusion's properties to create versatility in application."