Morgan Contract Furniture Ralph Shuttleworth
BRIEF Design a seating solution for reception areas. This could be anything froma amodular seating system to a break out area within a workspace, or a more private study booth in an open plan office etc. Explore the notion of how this seating is used in different sectors and scenarios. Present a scale model of the design, showing necessasry production detailing if possible.
CONTRACT FURNITURE Furniture designed for public spaces must be more durable and pass more stringent safety measures, such as rub count and resistance to fire. Due to most contract furniture being produced in large batches, it can usually be tailored to the individual order by Wood species/ finish and upholstery fabric choice.
MARKET ANALYSIS Morgan manufactures their products in the uk from primarily UK sourced materials. This makes them a more expensive option compared to alternative contract furniture suppliers such as Warner. Morgan can therefore prioritise the quality of design and manufacture, in order to justify the higher manufacturing and wholesale cost.
MORGAN SEATING The majority of Morgans seating comprises of a wooden frame and upholstered cushioning/panels. The seating ranges morgan offers focus mainly on individual seats, with few ranges of sofa or bench style seating. I therefore wanted to create something which fitted this gap. Reception seating is very varied in use, from breakout work areas and public meeting booths, to sprawling sofa systems and armchairs.
ATRIUM SEATING Atrium seating is usually a very public area for a business, where they want to present a professional environment. Having observed the university Atrium space, which is very typical of most business and education Atrium, it was clear that most people only either pass through the area, or wait for a short period of time (under 15 minutes). The space is also regularly used for events which requires the clearing of the floorspace. The Atrium floor is also viewed from above via the balcony areas, and so any seating should take the overhead view into account. The design should therefore be suitable for short term sitting/ waiting, maintain the open overall feel, be easily moved, and be visually appealing from above.
CONCEPTS To fulfill the specifications needed for Atrium seating, a system of benches and modular add ons seemed most suitable, for its low lying unobtrusive presence and its ability to be removed or positioned to make best use of the space, and to be striking when viewed from above. The system could therefore be sprawling across the available floor space, or could be placed linearly next to a walkway.
INITIAL IDEATION My initial ideas revolved around central pillars which supported multiple benches at various angles or heights. This would create an easily assembled large scale system whereby the benches could be repositioned very easily. The drawbacks would be the time needed to unfasten the system, and the large legs needed if just one bench was wanted.
CAD DEVELOPMENT Making these various system ideas on SolidWorks allowed a quick representation of how the pieces interact with each other, and how effective it would be for a recetion area. These models also highlighted the difficulty in creating a large structure which creates an inviting space that isnt overwhelming. This was one reason why I dropped the central pedestals concept, in favour of individual benches.
CONCEPT In order to maintain the variable angles, and extendable system, a 2 level bench system is appropriate as it would allow the user to position and continually reposition quickly to suit the changing needs. It also could be positioned at any angle or used individually. This initial concept used a single loop bench design which could be threaded through another to create a second height of seat which is linked together. This system would however require some disassembly to move or reconfigure. It is also uses lots of unecessary uphostery so would be expensive to manufacture.
MODELLING Creating these models allowed me to test the interlocking and relative dimensions of the components. It was also easy to decide on what configurations would be used. These models highlighted the large amount of fabric needed and the difficulty in manufacturing of this design.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT In order to reduce manufacturing costs and increase ease of reconfiguration, the seats were all individually self supporting at 2 different heights. This meant no interlocking was necessary however it would require multiple height varieties in order for one to bridge the other.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT This design comprises of 2 parts, a 2.5m long bench seat and a 3m long table to be used as an armrest, waiting perch and table. The tables height allows the benches to be placed underneath it, protruding at both sides if necessary. It would be available as an upholstered version or a veneered Wood version
PRODUCING THE PLYWOOD PROTOTYPE Using Birch plywood and Aero-ply, I created a prototype to finalise the deisgn, and test the preposed manufacturing methods, as the piece must be able to be created using CNC machines and mould laminations. My CAD model was used to cut my flat pieces from 9mm and 12mm plywood, using a CNC router.
MANUFACTURING CONSIDERATIONS These benches would comprise of a tubular steel internal frame which a plywood board would be attached to support the various densities of foam. The piece would then be upholstered using single stitch seams on all of the edges.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT Making these 5 1:10 scale models emphasised the difficulty of uphostering this shape, and the lengths of fabric needed to do so. I could try various combinations of the benches and found that although most shapes and functions could be fulfilled, perhaps having a variety of different lengths would be beneficial.
FINAL CONCEPT My final prototype shows the sweeping curved outer shape which holds the shelving and legs within. It successfully utilises all the space available, and is unrestrictive enough to allow the user to store a wide variety of things on it. It follows in the footsteps of the previous Isokon Donkeys in its general form, efficiency of space, and panier inspired aesthetic. My aim was to create a donkey sympathetic to the previous designers, while maintaining a contemporary and orignial design, which utilies and celebrates the plywood/CNC construction methods.
EVALUATION This design fulfills the brief and would be a suitable seating system for an Atrium style reception area. The benches allow a relatively large amount of seating to be available while both maintaining an open environment and allowing people to use the furniture however they see fit, from leaning against it, sitting while waiting or working for a short time at the table. The system would be easy to use by the business especially if the area is multi use. To improve and further develop this design, I would increase the range of sizes available, to include different length benches and a bar height piece. One main issue with this is the manufacturing cost, which could be reduced by only using the upholstery on the seat pad, and leaving the rest of the structure as a frame. It could also be achieved by manufacturing the benches without any cushioning, such as from sheet steel, and having individual cushions. The other issue is the stability of the higher pieces. This could be further developed by widening the structure or fastening it to the benches in some way.