The Lounger
In the Fall of 2024 I took the class 4.500, Design Computation: Art, Objects and Space. In this class, we learned the principles of 3D modeling using the software Rhino. We learned skills, such as sketching, surface and mesh modeling, and rendering with the intent of creating a physical chair as the final project.
Initial Concept
My initial concept for a chair was one that would allow the user to sit in a sort of crouch, with their feet pushed against a wall connected to the chair. The inspiration of this idea was the image of students sleeping in lecture halls. With such a confined arrangement, students cramp themselves between their seat and the seat in front of them. This idea was eventually scrapped due to the limitations with material and the size it would need to be in order to fit my height comfortably. While it didn’t end up as my final chair, it was a valuable experience to flesh out an idea fully and end up having to completely overhaul it. It gave me the ability to not get too attached to my designs, no matter how much time I put into them.
Final Design: Required Lounging
The final idea I went with was a chair that reminds me of the summers I spent back at home and the little time I have to just relax as a student. This design is a sleek lounge chair with the front edge unsupported. This was a purposeful design decision, it makes users recline in the chair instead of sitting on the edge. In this way, it’s not a seat you sit on for quick moment before returning to another task. It’s a chair you sit in when you need to force yourself to just relax and unwind. In the busy world of undergraduate life, we as students don’t get these moments very often. This chair serves not only as a nice lounging spot, but as a symbol to take a break sometimes.
