Design / Furniture / Wooden Chair
domestic hardwood, cotton canvas, polyurethane foam
April 2024
This chair was crafted using a limited selection of materials, assembled entirely with joinery, avoiding the use of screws or bolts. The design prioritizes simple, construction to promote longevity and functionality. The project explored furniture design as a complete process, from concept to construction, addressing challenges at each stage. I believe that engaging with every step of the process is essential to better understanding furniture design; this chair represents a thoughtful exploration of that principle
Initial ideation for this project involved creating a series of 1:30 scale models from balsa foam. These models played a key role in shaping the final design, enabling ideas to evolve through experimentation.
Building on the foam iterations, I transitioned to larger 1:10 scale models made from 1/4-inch plywood. At this scale, the construction provided a rough outline of how the final chair would be assembled
A full-scale prototype was built using scrap wood, based on one of the four 1:10 scale models. This prototype served to evaluate the chair's ergonomics, visual proportions, and structural integrity.
The first full scale model was then studied, critiqued and disassembled to form the second full scale model based upon that feedback. This one featuring seat foam.
Two 16ft boards were sourced from an architectural reclaim warehouse. The boards were cut into workable lengths then planed, jointed, and sanded. the pieces were then cut into parts predicated on previous models. After consulting many experts the exact wood species remains unknown.
The wood was sanded up to 180 grit, then finished with beeswax orange oil blend and polished with a wax compound.
The final object was assembled using only a mallet.