Tension Lounge
This was a project I worked on during the spring semester of my thesis year. I was particularly interested in working with the new technologies Norwich had acquired and how they may be used for design process or in digital fabrication.
The shape of the lounge itself is simple: swooping lines make up the back, sides, and supports for the lounge come within inches of each other where the back and seat meet in order to create a visual tension.
The initial shape of the lounge was designed in elevation and then later modeled in Rhino and 3D printed using fused deposition modeling. The 3D printer became the key to the process, as the ease of printing out repetitive iteration after iteration allowed for an in-depth analysis of form.
Concept Sketch
3D Printed Study Model
3D printing Study Models
After much of the initial form was decided, I built a full-scale model out of cardboard to test comfort. Cardboard allowed for easy 1/8-inch adjustments in order to adjust the slope and dimensions until the lounge was comfortable.
The final form was sliced from the Rhino model and cut using a CNC router. The pieces were laminated together, sanded and oiled.
Detail
