03. Chair

The project explores how the tensile strength of carbon fiber composite and computational design tools can be used to create a lightweight, material efficient chair design. The design principle was inspired by how a spider initiates its web construction. Six parallel strands of one single tow of carbon fiber pre-impregnated with epoxy resin and then shaped with non-elastic ropes attached to a hook screw board on the ground. The seat was then woven between the strands. Physical material tests to see how the fibers behaved under loads were conducted. Structural deformations of the chair under load were simulated with Karamba.
Combining the results from the 1:10 and 1:5 prototypes, with digital simulations output, a final design was developed and fabricated in 1:1 scale. It proved successful to hold the weight of a user.

Students: Rebeca Duque Estrada, Maria Wyller
Tutor: Piotr Baszyński, Jan Petrš
Suprevisor: Jun.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Arch. Hanaa Dahy
Design Studio: Material and Structure, WS 18/19, University of Stuttgart.