Boulderspace

Contributor Emily Tuteur describes her design and build process for The Ribbon Chair. This design was part of a project and collaboration between CU Boulder and Denver Architecture and Planning and Design Within Reach. This project pushed and challenged future designers and architects beyond everyday product design and into new approaches of the thinking.

Emily Tuteur describes her approach:

The Ribbon chair serves the multifunctional agenda of chair, table and storage nook. The complex pieces merge to form a simple continual ribbon of material allowing for multiple surfaces. Constructed only of FSC certified red alder, the ribbon chair is ideal for the environmentally conscious individual. In addition, the surfaces are finished with an oil wax varnish extracted from seed oil.

This chair is the result of a desire to create a multifunctional single material design that would be ideal for reading or enjoying a cup of coffee along with the added benefit of storage space. The actual form of this chair emerged from a material study. I have always been interested in continual bent metal forms, so I set out to create one of my own. By folding tin foil, I obtained a shape that eventually morphed into the final product design. I had difficulties with the aluminum once I figured out the final form, and I didn’t have enough funding to outsource the bending of a large thick continual piece of recycled aluminum. I also came to the realization that the chair would have too much flex if made out of sheet aluminum.

The solution came in the form of wood. I decided to switch to an FSC certified wood, but still keep the idea of a continual piece of material. To achieve this I matched the grains of the wood to make it appear like a continual ribbon of material. The process of creating this design included a working computer generated model as well as multiple prototypes to test for comfort and balance. These prototypes were crudely constructed of plywood and wood screws. They were not very pretty, but they helped me to understand the strength of the design.

The final design prototype was composed of FSC certified red alder planks. I chose this material for its beauty and the fact that it is a sustainably forested wood native to the western United States. These planks were laminated together to create the solid pieces that make up the pieces of the ribbon. Lap joints and dowels were used to secure the piece together. The piece was then covered with an oil wax varnish extracted from seed oil.

As a result of this project, I have become very interested in further exploring furniture/industrial design. I plan to go to grad school to continue my pursuit of these interests.

Other Eco Modern Project Designs:
LCR Chaise Lounge Reversible by Jonathan E. Tucker
Swing Back Design L1 by Tyler Whaley

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