FURNITURE DESIGN WORKSHOP

FURNITURE DESIGN

Fall 2020 | Jill Leckner ARC 599 | Furniture Design Workshop

The furniture design workshop was an exploratory classroom and space wherein precedent and inventive methods, and means were furthered for research and fabrication. The art and structural science of traditional Japanese joinery, specifically the Stub Tenon Joint and the Rabbeted Oblique Scarf Joint, were created. Also, CNC joints like Hammer Tenon and Tenon with star mortise were also crafted in ambition of studying their properties and structural strength. In continuation of these studies and in furthering the findings from each of the projects the Bonsai Tabletop Waterfall and Flowdenza Credenza were designed and fabricated. The Bonsai Tabletop Water Fountain and Flowdenza, while both meant to communicate in narrative and purposes, they expel on the concept of the natural element of water. Bonsai Tabletop Waterfall cascades water onto its floating platforms, continuously trinkling water throughout, and essentially creating a sense of tranquility and relaxation in any space. Flowdenza is an extension to this concept by representing the motion and nature of water as a moment frozen in time through the materiality of plywood that has undergone fabrication methods by the CNC machine. The wave façade of the credenza visually allures the eyes to its motionless movement, and this sensory of seeing like moving water with the sensory experience of listening to the pleasing cascade of the tabletop waterfall transforms and activates any space.

TABLE WATERFALL ON TOP OF FLOWDENZA PIECE STUDIO IMAGE

BONSAI TABLE TOP WATER FOUNTAIN ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE OF FOUNTAIN

CLOSE-UP OF WATER POURING

CLOSE-UP OF WATER POURING REFERENCE BONSAI TREE IMAGE

BONSAI TABLE TOP FOUNTAIN | BONSAI TREE

For centuries, the bonsai tree has symbolized harmony, peace, order of thoughts, and balance. Bonsai uses the medium of symbolism to communicate ideas and emotions. Meticulously, the craft of bonsai tree sculpting relies on asymmetrical triangles, it is the presence of balance. The isosceles have unequal sides and this creates asymmetry. In various Eastern art forms like flower arranging, paintings and bonsai making, asymmetry creates “sabi” or deliberate imperfection. Asymmetrical triangles like an isosceles triangle create a sense of moment which symbolizes the continuation of life. This natural occurrence is very significant in Japanese culture. It represents movement, freedom, and continuity.

FABRICATION AND MECHANICS

The Bonsai inspired tabletop waterfall in its construction features a centered spine that curves in an undulating motion as it soars upwards. This spine is cut with four 0.5” x 0.5” wedges along its sides, which enable the four platforms to nestle on and connect to the side wedges. The four platforms are imprinted with CNC toolpath design that mimics the same pattern along the face around the base of the fountain. This pattern engraving in the cascade platforms is to regulate how much and the directionality of flow of water as it cascades from one platform and onto the other. The platforms are intentionally and strategically oriented where water falls gracefully back and forth between platforms, eventually reaching the pool in the base and cycled back up again, this gesture in design emphasizes the bonsai trees principle of balance and reliance. A water pump is encapsulated in the base of the fountain, and it is connected to a pump that travels up the undulating spine that recycles the water. 2. Second Platform

3. Third Platform

4. Bottom Platform

FLOWDENZA

FLOW + CREDENZA

Like the yielding, shape-less, and fluid nature of water Flowdenza is the furniture credenza piece that is always moving without ever doing so. The shape of water is malleable only to the extent of the container or force acting upon it. Flowdenza rids water of its container and box and becomes it instead. On all four faces of the credenza the undulating wave carve CNC facade creates an allure that reinforces "water is constantly purifying and flowing in on itself." Gracefully, this flow is a preserved moment of movement, yet while still it is in a sense active to stimulate any living or commercial space. This birch plywood credenza brings life as does its inspired element water.

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

The 360-degree conceptual flow of water as a wood facade is intruded beginning mid-height by its funcationality and purpose to be a credenza furniture piece. Be it that the flow is still an obscured box, its legs contributes to its narrative and aesthetic by making seem as though it floats. Like hands to a camera or cranes to a container, the black edgy legs frame the flowing box as the centerpiece to be marveled. The legs chic design contrast to the box's theme of flowing and water, and it introduces a new design language for the supports of the piece different from the language established for the cabintary. This is empahsized through color and style.

INLAND STREAM

THE NATURE OF WATER FACADE

In continuation and collaboration with the completion of the Bonsai Table Top Fountain, that focuses on the flow of actual water and the concept of balance and dependency, Flowdenza focuses on the idea of expressing the same senations that of flowing water in the state of being solid wooded materials as a credenza. Many water typopgraphies were analysed to determine what rhythm of wave would convey subtlness and steadiness. Vector patterns of water in various conditions ranging from circumstances like tsnuami storms to still days led to the pick of inland stream currents as the inspiration that would contribute to the final CNC facade design.

TSUNAMI HURRICANE INLAND STREAM BEACH WATERFALL

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

The joinery and mechanics of Flowdenza incorporates several systems. From prior Japanese joinery fabrication exercises, the concept of fastening elements by dowels was applied in connecting the frame legs with the body of the furniture piece. The drawers of the credenza are aligned with pegs whose diameter was cut in half to create a support condition, this method was done to enable a removable platform in the piece to allot more space for tall and large items between the three draws. Four Samsonite Lateral Hinges of the LIN-X450 model are the hinge systems for the outer doors of the credenza.

FLOWDENZA

A credenza with a gestural facade that enacases all four faces of the piece. The gesutral and formulative facades are interuppted in moments by the functionalities of it being a sidebaord credenza piece.

LIST

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F.

G.

H.

I.

J.

A. Legs B. Legs C. Front and Back Facades D. Side Facades E. Bottom and Top Platforms F. Middle Division Piece G. Shelves H. Top Drawer I. Middle Drawer J. Bottom Drawer K. Dowels (2 kinds) Big Ones and Small Cut customized ones