Polymorphic Kinetic Installation by Team 2

Polymorphic is a kinetic installation utilizing an innovative design and engineering solution inspired by the simple kinetic action of a see-saw and the reverberating motion of a Slinky. The design is comprised of a double-sided bench which transforms through a series of 119 unique and interconnected sections into a chaise lounge and finally an interactive balance board. These sections are connected via an inventive pivot and bolt system which allows the vertical movement of one section to be picked up by others down the line. Together, this motion allows the installation to transform from a series of leveled sections into an undulating form activated through interaction with its occupants.While the overall form of the bench is realized as a continuous landscape, each seating condition was designed according to existing ergonomic profiles in order to maximize comfort and functionality. This is further realized by allowing the tolerance of its motion to conform to the postures of the occupants using simply their weight as a point of activation for the movement of the sections. Furthermore, a series of internal notches linked together by elastic bands and reinforced by couplings located on the central pivot rods prevent lateral movement and ensures safety during motion.At its core, the design of the installation is not only an inventive solution to a design idea, but also a test of the limits and capabilities of digital fabrication and its role in advancing architectural and industrial design practices. While the installation had a designated scale and dimension, the developed system has the ability to grow much larger and wider depending on the availability of resources and materials. The form of the design can likewise be readily adjusted to suit the conditions and contextual requirements of various spaces and environments. The scalability of the joint system and design together creates a truly parametric system in which its use is not only for aesthetics, but for construction, functionality, and comfort as well.

This project is brought to you by Team 2: Charlie Able (www.charlieable.com) , Alexis Burson, Ivy Chan, Jennifer Chang (www.jennchang.com) , Aaron Harris, Trevor Hollyn-Taub, Brian Lee, Eliza Montgomery, Vernon Roether, and David Zhai.

Bark Chair by Creative Affairs

The latest addition to Architonic’s growing collection of fresh, innovative and frequently out-of-the-ordinary prototypes by young and up-and-coming designers from all over the world, this elegant, yet playful, chair has been realised by the Barcelona-based practice,CreativeAffairs.‘‘BARK’ is a set of chairs that came from the observation of a tree’s section, as a way of expressing the unique relationship between the outside and the inside. What you can immediately see and what truly lays within. This argument led the project to establish this special bond by making a clear division between the elements that form a chair. This partition is done in two groups: skeleton and exoskeleton. The former comprises the inner frame, which is the one that envelops the function of use. Whereas the latter include the most visible parts, which represents the symbolic function of the object that interacts immediately with the user.’

‘The intention of this design has been to develop a product that symbolized the importance of these two groups, understanding them as a unit in which its parts live in symbiotic relationship as well as each having their own unique features. This design is made to target both home and contract markets.’

Luukku Chair by Satoshi Ohtaki

It might very well be due to our recent obsession with this book, but we couldn’t help but notice that this curiously-detailed ‘Luukku’ chair created by the Japanese-born architect, designer and the Aalto University School of Engineering student Satoshi Ohtaki is in fact, smiling.Currently on view as part of the ‘Protoshop’ exhibition at Helsinki’s Habitare design fair, the simple chair ‘was designed to bring out elastic nature of ash’ and features a a distinctive, violin-like opening created by an extremely-thin (4mm) top board which ‘bends under the weight of the sitter and enables soft sitting on a hard material.’‘Luukkuu’ is one of the 11 new prototypes by 13 designers working in Finland which are on show at Protoshop.

The Hawk Chair by Simon James

The Hawk Chair is a solid oak dining chair featuring clean lines and a generous footprint. The subtle recessed panels display varying amounts of wood texture. This structurally strong chair is ideal for hard contract use. Available in Natural and Resident White.

The Felix Chair by Simon James

Simon James designed the Felix Chair which was born out of the need for a genuinely comfortable armchair. Soft upholstered lines contrast the industrial nature of a well engineered base. This chair can stand alone or sit around a dining or boardroom table.
Simon James Design has a long-term commitment to continue finding new ways to lessen their environmental impact and provide a service to those interested in some of the most innovative design solutions this country and the world has to offer.

A Collector`s Collection:All About Vitra Mini Chairs

Inspired by the actual collection of iconic chairs housed at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany, Vitra mini chairs were created as a way of making the collection available to the public – not just through two-dimensional means, but through the tactile pleasure of meticulously handcrafted, three-dimensional models.The collection spans 188 years of fantastic furniture design.

Newly Released 1. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Barrel Chair, 1904 2. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West Chair, 1946  3. Arne Jacobsen’s Swan Chair, 1956

Recently Retired 1. Andre Dubreuil’s Spine, 1986 2. Frank Gehry’s Rolf’s Chair, 1990 3. Rene Herbst’s Sandows Chair, 1928 4. Josef Hoffman’s Cabaret Bat, 1905 5. Jasper Morrison’s Thinking Man’s Chair, 1986 6. Verner Panton’s Wire Cone Chair, 1988 7. Robert Wilson’s Parzival: A Chair with a Shadow, 1987 8. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Peacock Chair, 1929 9. Frank Lloyd Wright’s Midway Gardens Chair, 1913

Each miniature is packaged in a wooden box, accompanied by an informational booklet.

The Vitra Design Museum This exhibit may appear similar to miniature displays seen elsewhere, but it’s actually a collection of full-size originals. Stunning!

At Jules Seltzer Associates, on Beverly Blvd. in Los Angles, the Vitra collection sits on rows upon rows of glass shelving.

An artist crafts a mass of mini chairs into a modern light fixture.It casts awesome shadows!

Tip Ton by Barber Osger for Vitra

Furniture designers BarberOsgerby will present this tilting chair for design brand Vitra in at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan next week.Called Tip Ton, the polypropylene chair features a kinked bottom rail that allows the user to tilt it forward nine degrees.
“The issue with chairs is that there are many ways to sit,” says Rolf Fehlbaum, Vitra’s chairman. “TipTon approaches the problem differently and, to my knowledge, is the first chair to do so. It offers two positions – a forward-leaning position and a relax position. All this happens without a mechanism – just with the ‘intelligence’ of a simple distortion built into the base.”

New Furniture by Meg O’Halloran

Meg O’Halloran, an American furniture designer, has create those chairs.