2021 • CAD, rapid prototyping, machine tools, fabrication
Solo Project
infinite grid stool
Modular furniture made to be used with intention.
Designed for practicality.
Lightweight, sturdy, and modular, this piece is designed for a wide range of uses. They can be used as standalone stools but they can also be joined together to form a bench or a larger sitting system. The stools also serve a purpose beyond just being a surface to sit on. They connect to each other in various configurations which dictate how sitters are positioned. Whether consciously or subconciously, the sitters' arrangements of the stools communicate how they want - or don't want - to interact.
Overlapping points
The joining of stools is made possible by the gridded form and the stacked layers of the stool’s seat. At the connection points indicated in the above picture, the protruding parts of the stools overlap and interlock.
Sitting constraints
An important characteristic of these stools is that they can only be sat on from certain directions, meaning that the orientation of the stool limits which way the sitter faces. Take the arrangements pictured above for example - if two stools are connected at a 90 degree angle, that forces the sitters to face outward away from each other.
The grid
The grid design was a practical decision, inspired by the gridded note pad that I was using to measure and align my pieces as I was prototyping earlier forms with balsa wood. The final form was the result of maximizing functionality and stability while simplifying construction. For the actual stool, I scaled up the grid such that each unit = 1.5 inches, and its integral role in the fabrication process is demonstrated in the video.
