Winners:

Jittasak Narknisorn

“Posi+ive Lounge Chair”

I started by finding a way to form a nice clean and comfortable shape with a piece of paper. Because I believe if I can do it in a simple way, it will be easy to make in an industrial system.

The seat was designed on simple rectangular bent plywood with four plus shapes cut through. This design is minimize waste material and allowed the plywood to form curves and bend in more directions to create a nice shape with more ergonomic support.

The legs are one steel round bar. They continue upwards to make armrests for more comfort. The two back legs are positioned to make the chair stackable by taking advantage of the cuts through the seat.

The cushion is made from wool felt fabric. It is the same shape as the seat (rectangular with plus shapes cut through) so it also has minimal waste.





Jessica Konawicz

“Pandanus Lounge Chair”

I aimed to design a lounge chair that is unique and beautiful, made of a single material that is renewable and biodegradable, is easily and efficiently manufactured, addresses the way people relax, and utilizes stacking for transportation.

Pandanus’s name and form were inspired by the leaves and fruit of the Pandanus Tree. The spirals created by the leaves reminded me of chairs stacked on top of one another. The fruit looks like little pods, which are curvaceous and colorful. By tracing over the fruit I found the most intriguing shapes. The challenge was to turn one shape into a form, which would be relaxing for a person to sit on. This lounge chair is not intended to fall asleep in rather for actively relaxing, meaning the user would be engaged in some activity like reading, listening to music, or having coffee with friends.

My goals for the chair were derived from the idea of making it sustainable in multiple ways,from the cellulose based plastic material, which is renewable and biodegradable, to the low energy manufacturing process, and the ability for the chair to stack to optimize space for storage and transportation.






Runner Ups:

Robert Corser

“NOLA Chair”

The NOLA chair is part of a pro-bono project featuring research into digital design and pre-fabrication to support New Orleans’ civic organizations as they work to rebuild in the wake of hurricane Katrina.

The design addresses issues of material economy and challenges existing approaches to ‘flat-pack’ furniture assembly by using digitally optimized pattern cutting to create joints that rely on bending and internal stresses to hold all connections fast, while also generating the chair’s three-dimensional form. The amount of force needed to bend the plywood members is minimal in comparison to the stability created.

Unlike other pre-curved plywood furniture that must be shipped in large volume packages, the NOLA Chair ships flat and is dry-bent into sculptural form during assembly. This 8-fold increase in shipping efficiency is matched by the material efficiency of the prototype, with each chair being fabricated out of less than 20 square feet of 1/2 inch plywood.

Material costs for each chair are approximately $40 including finishes. Funding for the project is from private donations, and the design team has donated all labor. Design and prototype testing are complete and the first chairs are currently being site-tested in New Orleans with strong results.




Catherine Pena

“Duv-tal”

Duv-tal was designed in response to America’s obsession with cars and the lack of support for public transportation systems. For those that use public transportation out of necessity, cars symbolize luxury while public transportation symbolizes an individual’s limits. Many bus stops do not have adequate seating and passengers are left to sit on the ground, further reinforcing their position in our economic system.

It is my aim to construct environmentally friendly, efficient, and streamline seating for people who use public transportation, to give passengers a sense of authority and autonomy by providing an elevated vantage point— a position of honor.

Duv-tal utilizes the electric poles that many bus stop signs are attach to. A pole will accommodate a unit of green back-to-back seats that resemble and function much like theater seating and do not exceed the space that a passenger already occupies at the bus stop. Included on the seat, printed text will read: “You are a role model. You are actively improving the environment by riding the bus.”

The very nature of chairs and the additional text will highlight and commend an often-ignored social class, for their environmentally friendly activity that should be recognized in the environmental movement.




Moon Choi

“Jigai Chair”

1. Jigai chair’s concept is from Korean traditional career “Ji Gai” which has very silmpe and scientific structure. This structure optimize material and make simple process of fabrication. The main function is on the steel pipe.
It’s crossed shape which is came from “Ji Gai” supports the chair and human body. It makes possible to get simple shape so we can save material and produce simply. Also “Jigae chair” is made of recycled wood.
2. The looks of sitting people are very various. People want various position on a chair. “Jigai chair” offers 5 steps of sitting position with simple way. It is not hard to operate and it doesn’t need complicated structure.
The shape of “Jigai chair” satisfys people’s diversity and makes them comfortable.
3. May be Jigai chair’s shape doesn’t catch your eye. But It looks very familiar because it’s shape follows typical type of chair. Typical chair’s shape is following our bodyshape. Human body is the most emotional object to us. In conclusion, the emotional bond between viewer and chair is created in familiarity. Innovation is not far away.

The intersection of sustainability and sensuality is in simplicity.
“Jigai chair” will please us by simplicity of design.