arChair is an exercise of graphic statics and parametric aided design. This knowledge leads to and works in conjuction with roboticallly aided digital fabrication through the design and making of a chair. While a chair sounds like a simple object to design and fabricate, it is actually one of the most difficult things to realize. A chair has to support not only the weight of a person, but an active person that moves and exerts stress at different parts of the chair. More than practical considerations in terms of structural support, other performative criteria are integrated, including material and potentially social performance. As an object, concept/aesthetic is singular.
2D Arc Concept
arChair Video Montage
Grasshopper/Parametric aided design & worklfow
2D Intersecting Arcs
Formwork
form·work | \ ˈfȯrm-ˌwərk
a set of forms in place to hold wet concrete until it sets.
The formwork for arChair consists of four pieces of Robotic Hot Wire Cut EPS Foam. These pieces were cut in a through a series of sequential tool paths that were then assembled and adhered together to form the four separate foam assemblages.
Robotic Hot Wire Process/Parts
EPS Foam Formwork Aggregation in sequence
Four EPS Foam Formwork Assemblages
The following videos present the Robotically Controlled Hot Wire Foam Cutting Process. These are a series of the cuts (Sped up for video sake) that do not encompass all of the cuts, but provide an insight into the fabrication process of these four assemblages (Above).
Initial Demolding
Below are a series of photographs that portray arChair in its best life. We let our friends/models interact with this rather unfamiliar piece of furniture and documented them to show the many creative ways of inhabiting arChair.
arChair 360°
A special thanks to our Professors, Tsz Yan Ng & Wes McGee, the SOM Guest Instructors Ryan Culligan, Kyle Vansice, Rahul Attraya & Demi Fang, and of course all of our friends/models that interacted with arChair in many fun and exciting ways!!!
Team: Lucas Rigney & Jeffrey Richmond
