Cardboard Chair

The project was about listening to a material's characteristics for cues that would lead you in the design process of a chair. The idea was to understand the influence a material has on the process, and the end result. The material being explored was Cardboard.

Project requirements were:

- Chair must be made of SINGLY ply cardboard.
- Each chair must be made with ONLY ONE 4'x8' sheet of cardboard.
- NO tape, staples, glues or any other adhesives. ONLY cardboard.
- Chair must be ergonomically correct for an adult.
- Chair must support AT LEAST 200 pounds.


The initial sketch.

Even at this premature state, the idea of a single and continues piece of cardboard is evident.

 Material Information.

Cardboard has strength only in compression, not in tension. Also, the application of the compression must be done parallel to the corrugations.

 Assembly.

 Through folding and locking we create "X" joints that give the chair stability and strength. The final locking folds go over the "X" joints, creating the sitting surfaces.

The side view shows where three plains connect. This concave is the primary lock, and the sitting support.

The "X" fold that fortifies the back support.

This project definitely taught me a lot! I had a lot of fun developing it, and it inspired me to develop other pieces of furniture using similar techniques and materials. Stay tuned for those.

Thank you for listening.

Design to me.

To me Design is not about looks, it's not about style, it's not even about a physical thing. Design is a process, in which every phase is coordinated to achieve a particular goal, to ultimately satisfy a particular need. To me Design is inherently innovative. To me Design isn't organized, isn't clean, but is always logical. To me Design is not about the manipulation of form, or the manipulation of materials, or the implication of an individual's desire to force an outcome. To me Design is about listening to the circumstances and translating those circumstances into a solution. To me Design is a lifestyle, not a career.