Design / Furniture / Concrete Chair
cement, perlite
April 2024
I designed and constructed a chair using concrete, creating a custom mix of cement and perlite to reduce weight, as traditional aggregates like sand and gravel were too heavy. While the goal was to experiment with materials and develop a lightweight concrete chair, the final piece still retained significant weight. Although this limits its practicality as indoor furniture, the chair’s durability and aesthetic make it well-suited for an outdoor civic setting
I began the project with a series of sketches, keeping in mind the practicalities of mold-making and casting. Each form was designed with the casting process in mind, focusing on shapes that could be successfully replicated in concrete.
I then constructed a full-scale model using XPS foam, hot glue, cardboard, and tape. This model allowed me to explore how the object would exist in space and assess its ergonomics.
I created a mold from XPS foam, sealing the joints with hot glue and duct tape to prevent leaks. The mold was designed for the object to be cast on its side, with additional XPS foam placed inside to form the negative spaces in the final cast.
The concrete was a custom mixture of cement, perlite, and wood glue, formulated to achieve the desired balance of strength and reduced weight.
The final cast was left to cure for several days before the surface was smoothed using a plaster made from cement powder. While the project didn’t fully meet my initial expectations, it provided valuable insights into fabrication processes, and I was ultimately pleased with the resulting photographs
The final finish of the wood resulted from being planed, sanded up to 180 grit, then finished with beeswax orange oil blend and polished with a wax compound.
The finished product could be assembled with a mallet alone.