EVALUATION OF DESIGN PARAMETERS OF A MULTIFUNCTIONAL CROSS-LAMINATED FURNITURE FROM COCOS NUCIFERA (COCONUT) FOR UNIVERSITY HALL OF RESIDENCE

The growing demand for space-saving furniture and the underutilization of Cocos nucifera (coconut) wood in furniture production prompted this study to evaluate the design parameters of a multifunctional cross-laminated upholstered furniture for university halls of residence. Four research questions guided the study. A survey research design was adopted. The study population comprised 22 participants, consisting of 17 lecturers and 5 instructors from the Department of Technology Education, Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Oyo. Total enumeration sampling technique was employed because of the manageable population size. Data were collected using a 60-item structured questionnaire titled “Multifunctional Furniture Questionnaire” (MFQ), developed on a modified 4-point Likert scale. The instrument was face and content validated by three experts. A Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.85 established the internal consistency of the instrument. All 22 copies of the questionnaire were retrieved and analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that the environmental sustainability measures of Cocos nucifera were moderately sustainable (Mean = 3.08), the mechanical design parameters of the proposed furniture were moderately functional (Mean = 3.23), the ergonomic performance was moderately comfortable (Mean = 3.27) and the aesthetic qualities were moderately suitable (Mean = 3.14). The study concluded that multifunctional cross-laminated upholstered furniture has considerable potential for use in space-constrained university residence by integrating functionality, comfort and aesthetics. It was recommended that Cocos nucifera be further utilized as a sustainable furniture material and that the mechanical, ergonomic and aesthetic features of multifunctional furniture be continuously improved.