Boulderspace

Contributor Tyler Whaley describes the design and build process of the L1 Swing Back Design. This design was part of a project and collaboration between CU Boulder and Denver Architecture and Planning Department and Design Within Reach. This project pushed and challenged future designers and architects beyond everyday product design and into new approaches of the thinking.

Tyler Whaley describes his approach:

A chair my room-mate purchased at the local Salvation Army inspired the Swing Back design of the L1. This old upholstered lounge has a back which pivots to accommodate various degrees of lounging. I enjoyed the comfort and versatility this design afforded, and loved the reaction of friends upon their discovery that the back does adjust!

All aspects of the design and building process reflect my ideas of appropriate ‘green’ materials and processes. I believe that in order for a material to be ‘green’, it must be nontoxic, renewable, recyclable, produced under ethical social conditions, and contain low amount of embodied energy in relation to its lifespan.

The L1 has three basic components; a steel frame, two custom pivots and plywood seats. I wanted to produce a chair frame from 2″x 2″ square steel tubing to accommodate the double cantilever. My original intention was to reuse scrap steel tubing provided by a friend in Chaffe County who was going to weld the steel frame for me. Our schedules conflicted, so I was forced to find a local fabricator and purchased new steel. The next chair frames I produce will be constructed strictly of scrap steel.

Although steel requires a good amount of embodied energy to manufacture, the embodied energy of recycled steel is drastically reduced. Steel is the number one recycled material in North America (by weight). Additionally, steel can easily be easily reproduced without down-cycling. I chose powder coating as a finish because it produces near-zero volatile organic compounds ( VOCs), and if you choose a common color, the over-spray can be collected and reused. I chose Safety Orange, a color common to construction sites and machinery, to express the industrial nature of the steel frame and pivot mechanism.

Designing a mechanism to allow the back to move proved to be a challenge; I have nearly on whole sketchbook filled with attempts on how to make this action work elegantly. After exploring off-the-shelf hardware, I decided to design the parts myself. The result was two custom machined steel pivots that accommodate the curved seat back, and they work beautifully.

During materials research I discovered bamboo as a potential material for the seats. As a grass, bamboo matures rapidly in about five or six years, making it a great alternative to hardwoods. Furthermore, it can be harvested continually without replanting. The bamboo in these seats was hand harvested, reducing impact on the local environment by machinery. The seat and seat back are comprised of seven layers of 2mm thick bamboo veneers. These veneers were laminated together with a locally made eco-friedly adhesive. I finished the seats with a plant-based oil that was low VOCs and contains no formaldehyde.

Having never made plywood or worked with bamboo, molding curved seats was a monumental achievement for me. I handmade molds and used a vacuum back to apply pressure. I built the seats two layers at a time, alternating grains for strength. The small radius curve on the seat bottom proved to be very challenging, and it broke twice before I could get it to work.

Designing and building the L1 was an extremely rewarding experience. Throughout the process I feel I have gained a wealth of knowledge in fields of design and fabrication. This experience has motivated me to learn to weld. I plan to design and create more furniture using steel and bamboo.

Other Project Designs:

LCR Chaise Lounge Reversible by Jonathan E. Tucker

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