Product in situ

In this post, the panel above shows my cafe chair in its cafe environment. I have chosen the Brother Baba Budan which is a small cafe shop located in the CBD of Melbourne. The first thing that strikes you when you, walk into Brother Baba Budan, is the unusual decor. If you have not been there before, you cannot help but be struck by the image of tens of chairs suspended high from the ceiling. The environment of this cafe is one of a kind and it's design in a way has a similar feel to my cafe chair as well.

Finishing Development

The above shows the finishing method which I used. The very first was sanding down the chair by using an electric sanding machine to clear off all the rough and sharp edges. The following is by spraying primer to the wood to avoid the wood from absorbing the paint spray. Finally once the primer is all dry, the final step is spraying the paint. This has to be down a few times to give the chair the proper finishing. In between the sprays, the chair is sanded to give the final outcome a smooth finishing.

Hand Sketch & Rendering

This sketch was an early fast sketch/render to give me a feel of how the chair would look like before I proceeded to my next step. As shown, I have taken out the plywood seat and changed it into a more interesting design by usingthe 4 mm wire. By doing so, it makes the design of the chair more interesting.

Locking System

In this post, I'll be showing the kinds of locking system that I thought of to lock the 6 sides of my chair together. I played around with the thickness of the plywood and 4mm wire mixing and matching to come up with a suitable locking system and came to a conclusion that the best way to go about my chair is to have 3 pieces of 5mm plywood stick together to give my chair the proper strength so that it would not break.

Chair Parts For Lazer Cutting

In this post, I would be showing a JPEG image of the AutoCAD file which I handed in for laser cutting. In the picture you would be able to see 4 different line colours (black, blue and red, purple). The black represents the outline of the chair parts which would be cut through and the red would have a 2mm recess. As for the other two colours, blue is for the 'through all' cuts within the wood and the purple would be a recess of 4mm.

Each part of the design contains 6 similar shapes. Every 3 pieces would be sticked together accordingly to increase the thickness of the material and would have a mirror image of the other 3 pieces making the design symetrical when assembled together.

Change In Seating Design

Following up in this post is concerning with the seat of the cafe chair which I am modeling up. The material and design of the seat would be changed to make the design different from the usual cafe chair. The seat would be made using 4mm thick steel wire in the shape of a spide web. The jointing of each part would be welded to each other. The outer most layer of the web would have double the thickness to enable it to be slotted in a 4mm groove/recess which would laser cut into the plywood.

1:1 Scale Chair (mock-up)

This is the updated version of the previous chair which has its high backrest chopped off. This design is lighter than the previous design in terms of the amount of material used and is more suitable as a cafe chair. There are going to be some slight changes with the final design which includes some modification to be done with the locking system. With this design, the locking system could be seen from the outside but as for the new design, the locking system would be hidden in between the three layers of wood which I would be using. This gives the cafe chair a more simplified and cleaner look.

Final Concept - Bamboo

My final concept is called Bamboo. This chair is based on the original shape which was a cilindrical design and turned into an octagonal shape to enable production. This chair is hold together using a clip type of locking system on each side of the board. On the base of the chair which holds the seating area, wires will be placed in a criss-cross position to strengthen the seat. Boards are sticked together in two plies for strength.

Concept Presentation

This week is the presentation week and we are required to do concept models with the scale of 1:5 and show 4 different views of each concept. The first concept below is concept 1. The idea for this design came from a bamboo shoot. The way I produce this design is simple. The frame of the chair is dipped in hot water to soften it. Then it is bent into a cylindrical shape and left to dry.

The second concept is done with the idea of zig-zags. Lines are drawn on the wood pieces and then sand off to create a slight recess. The idea behind this is to bend the wires according to those recesses. The two front legs are made using wire and the back leg using wood. The back leg is also set at an angle to withstand any inertia towards it when someone sits.

Esquisse Four - Material Synergy

In Esquisse Four, we are required to design 2 cafe chairs. As such, the bottom shows the 2 design concepts that I came out with. The first concept is relating to 'curvature' and the second concept is design on the idea of 'arrowheads'.

Concept 1 is design based on curves. The curves on the chair is done by wetting the balsa wood in hot water then carefully bent and dry with a hairdryer. Hot water enables the wood to be bent at any angle wanted but it does not maintain its curvature. In order to do so, I used wire as a locking system to lock the curves.

Pros:

- Has an armrest

- Leg at the back is set at an angle to counter inertia

- Base of chair has a thicker layer of wood frame to avoid the chair from bending when seat on

Cons:

- Has a chunky outlook

- There are only 3 legs on this chair

- Chair cannot be stacked on top each other

Concept 2 is based on arrowheads. Wire frames made by using 1mm thick wire to hold 2 parts of the chair together. The back legs is positioned in an X form at an angle and the 2 front legs are made with wire.

Pros:

- Has a very stable form

- Back and front legs are set at an angle to counter inertia

- Has a slim look compared to Concept 1

- End of chair has a slight curve angle to allow comfortable sitting

Cons:

- Leaning might cause uneasiness due to wire frame

- Chair cannot be stacked

Esquisse Three - Form vs Function

Esquisse three talks bout form versus function and as an assignment. We were required to design 2 different chairs based on the title above using only balsa wood and 1mm thick wire.

My first design was based on my country's national flower which is the hibiscus. The stool is made by by strips of balsa wood (10mm x 100mm) and being clipped by metal wires which i turned into clips.

The second design which follows the function theme is a chair which can be rolled around. It has an armrest as well as a headrest. It is made by bending pieces of balsa wood. the leg frame of this bottom half is made with strips of wire. It is hold together using wire as well which i turned it into a "spring like" shape.

Esquisse Two - Locking System

For this week's class we are suppose to design the minimum of 3 different kinds of locking systems using a combination of balsa wood and 1mm think wire. Below shows the result of what I have designed:

Design 1

The first locking system which i designed was intended to lock 2 pieces of balsa wood together in a cross shape. The idea of this design came to me when I was thinking back on the knots that I used to do during my scouting days in high school.

Design 2

On the second design, I was thinking on how to bend the balsa wood and make it stay in a curve shape at the same time. I decided to use the wire as a frame to hold the bent balsa wood in place on the top as well as the bottom.

Design 3

The third concept that I thought of was a star and how can I hold it in place using pieces of wood stacked together. I manage to come out with a solution where I used the wire and bent it in a zig-zag position. The way to of opening this locking system is simple as I just have to turn it sideways on all 3 corners.

Design 4

Design 4 is the most simple of all because it locks 2 pieces of wood which is parallel to each other. Its design came from staples which is used to staple paper together.

Esquisse One - Triangulation

For the second week of Furniture Design class, we were required to design a 5 sided pyramid using only balsa wood and 1mm wire. No adhesive can be used to mate it together. So I started of with some sketches and calculation to see how I can combine those 2 materials. This is the result:



I used also wood as the base. The balsa wood which I bought was not long enough so I decided to join the 2 pieces together by using the 1mm wire (making it into sort of a staple form). The wire frame which I used to make the other 4 sides of my pyramid had the same staple jointing when mating with the balsa wood. I find that it is the most effective method as it makes it stable.

Be4U - Furniture Design History

Ron Arad (1951 - )

Furniture designer, architect,
teacher, Ron Arad’s expertise
is broad and his reputation
formidable. He is also the
creator of the classic Bookworm
– a fresh approach to book
storage and shelving and the
Well Tempered chair. Ron
Arad’s life is a tribute to
fascination with innovative
approaches to design: marrying
unconventional forms or
materials with unexpected
functions.

He taught himself to weld and beat steel and then experimented
with highly polished metal finishes. Ron Arad's team rapidly
became expert in varios processes from ready made and welded
heavy metal to extruded plastic and rapid prototyping.

In recent years Ton Arad's work has focused more on architectural
comissions such as the Tel Aviv Opera House, Y's store in Tokyo for
a Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto as well as the Belgo
restaurants in London. It is difficult to know which direction he
will turn next. As Ron Arad once said in an interview, "I'm afraid
of boredom, fundamentalist, philistines". So anything is possible
with Ron Arad.



Article Resource:
Internet;
- http://www.m-eng.com/ftp/New%20Design/
- http://www.garageonline.se/shop/content/voido-ron-arad
- http://artblart.wordpress.com/2009/08/31/exhibition-ron-arad-no-discipline-at-the-museum-of-modern-art-moma-new-york/
- http://www.borkded.com/post/69112093/ok-remember-how-i-went-to-that-shitty-museum-last
- http://www.icollector.com/Ron-Arad-Split-table_i8513296
- http://www.kollerauktionen.ch/shared/pdf/g44/Presse/PNB_g44_d.pdf
Books;
The DesignEncyclopedia, edited by Mel Byars, published
by The Museum of Modern Art



Charles Ormond Eames, Jr (1907 - 1978) &
Ray-Bernice Alexandra Kaiser Eames (1912 - 1988)

Charles and Ray
Eames were
American designers.
They worked
together in major
contributions to
many fields of
design including
industrial, graphic,
filming and also
achitecture as
well.

Mid-Century Modern pop out after WWII and Art Deco
Movement. The design in Mid-Century Modern were
more organic shapes and there were a lot of bending
manufacturing involved. During then, Charles and Ray
Eames came out with a few wonderful furniture designs
such as the Lounge Chair. The Lounge Chair was the
perfect example of a classic design of the 20th century.



Article Resource:
Internet;
- http://www.spacecraftint.com/brands/vitra/vitra-dsr-
side-chair-1.html
- http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/issues/current-
issue/articles/how-to-shop-dec08-2/
- http://www.flyingarchitecture.com/eames_lounge_
chair/
- http://www.paulsawyer-gls.co.uk/magical/media/gbu0
/prodsm/27%20Feb%202008%20014.jpg
- http://www.mastersofarts.fi/moa2008/images/stories
/06_press/events/large/vitraeames_charlesray.jpg
Books;
The DesignEncyclopedia, edited by Mel Byars, published
by The Museum of Modern Art

Be4U - Furniture Design History

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 - 1969)

Ludwig Mies van
der Rohe was an
architect and
designer. Mies
developed a
design approach
based on advanced
structural techniques
and Prussian
Classicism. He also
developed a sympathy
for the aesthetic
beliefs of both Russian Constructivism and the Dutch De
Stijl group. He borrowed from the post and lintel
construction of Karl Friedrich Schinkel for his designs in
steel and glass.

Famous for his saying, 'Less is More' and 'God is in the details',
Mies attempted to create contemplative, neutral spaces through
an architecture based on material honesty and structural integrity.
Over the last twenty years of his life, Mies achieved his vision of
a monumental 'skin and bone' architecture. His later works
provide a fitting outcome to a life dedicated to the idea of a
universal, simplified architecture.



Article Resource:
Internet;
- http://www.icollector.com/Ludwig-Mies-van-der-Rohe-Knoll-
Mies-daybed_i8523595
- http://www.spacecraftint.com/shop/mies-van-der-rohe/knoll-
mies-van-der-rohe-mr-table-1.html
- http://www.icollector.com/Ludwig-Mies-van-der-Rohe-pair-of
-Barcelona-chairs-with-ottoman_i8513396
-http://www.spacecraftint.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1
/image/840x1120/5e06319eda06f020e43594a9c230972d/K/n/
Knoll-Mies-van-de-rohe-flat-bar-armchair_1_1.jpg
- http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/26/61926-050-
F98DB706.jpg
Books;

- C 20th Furniture, edited by Fiona Baker and Keith Baker,
published by Calton Book Limited 2003
- Bent Wood andMetal Furniture: 1850 - 1946, edited by Derek
E. Ostergard, published by The American Federation of Arts

Le Corbusier (1887 - 1965)

Le Corbusier was
born on October
6, 1887, inLaCha
ux-de-Fonds,
Switzerland. His
family's love for
arts, and enthu-
siasm for the
Jura Mountains,
were all
formative
influences on
the young Le
Corbusier.

He is an internationally influential Swiss architect and city planner,
whose designs combine the functionalism of the modern movement
with a bold, sculptural expressionism. He belonged to the first
generation of the so-called International school of architecture and
was their most able propagandist in his numerous writings. In his
architecture he joined the functionalist aspirations of his generation
with a strong sense of expressionism. He was the first architect to
make a studied use of rough-cast concrete, a technique that satisfied
his taste for asceticism and for sculptural forms.



Article Resource:
Internet;
- http://www.harvestmoon.co.uk/coach-house-contemporary-retro-
living-room-furniture.html
- http://www.ny-furniture.com/LeCorbusier.htm - http://rockandfio
cc.blogspot.com/2009/06/occhiali-rotondi.html
- http://gibraltarfurniture.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/1295-le-cor
busier-lc6-table-wwwgibraltarfurniturecom-800-416-3635/
- http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200907/1248729488.
html
Books;

- The LC4 Chaise Longue by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeaneret and

Charlotte Perriand, edited by Volker Fisher, published by Verlag
form GmbH

Be4U - Furniture Design History

Verner Panton (1926 - 1998)

Vernon Panton is the most

remarkable innovative

talent of the 20th Century

in design and architecture.

His designs were constantly

brilliant. Near the end of the

1950s, his chair designs

became more and more

unconventional, with no

legs or discernible back.

The Stacking chair or S chair,

became his most famous and mass-produced design and

he was the first to create inflatable furniture, pioneered

with the much acclaimed single moulded plastic chair

and refused to accept gravity by creating the Flying Chair.

Verner was not obstructed by limitations that adults

incur throughout life. Instead, he though and created

with the imaginery vision of a child, in bold beautiful

colours and shapes.

Article Resource:

Internet;

-http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ngv_design,_

verner_panton,_panton_chair,_1960_01.JPG- http://www.markparrish.co.uk/furniturepage.htm

- http://www.icollector.com/Verner-Panton-Pantonova-

seating-system_i8644097

- http://www.atomica.me.uk/146-4670_IMG.JPG

- httpwww.whiterouge.comdetails_e_d.phpobject_ID=131

- http://www.trendcorner.dk/verner_panton_116_en/

Books;

- The Design Encyclopedia, edited by Mel Byars, published

by The Museum of Modern Art

Philippe Patrick Starck (1949 - )

Philippe Starck was born

in Paris on 18th January

1949 the son of an aircraft

designer. Even at a very

early age, Starck showed

much enthusiasm for

design. Products designed

by Starck can be seen on

display in the collections

of a number of European

and American museums.

Much of his work produced

in the 1980's and 1990's

was influenced by fashion and novelty. It has even been

referred to by some as being 'overdesigned'. In the 21st

century his approach to design seems to have changed.

Starck has recently said that honesty and integrity should

be at the core of design. Products should not be created as

'throw away artifacts', only surviving for as long as they

remain in fashion but should ideally have longevity and

durability. He believes that as designers we need to be

both honest and objective.

Article Resource:
Internet;
-http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ngv_

design,_philippe_starck,_w.w._stool,_1990_02.JPG

- http://top-people.starmedia.com/art/philippe-starck_

17202.html
- http://www.homedesigning.com/2009/11/philippe-

starck-designs-kitchens-for-warendorf
- http://tiptilcatreunvis.blogspot.com/2009/11/louis-

ghost-chair.html
- http://www.dexigner.com/design_news/5042.html
Books;
- Philippe Starck Subverchic Design, edited by Fay Sweet,

published by Thames and Hudson