fōn chair

2009

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This page displays my design completed as part of an undergraduate furniture design studio. My fōn chair was inspired by childhood memories of the phone chair. I sought to put a modern spin on a piece of furniture rarely seen anymore.

 

The initial concept was a seat and table floating above the ground. I chose to have these elements protruding out of a wall with no other visible supports. I wanted people to question whether this was actual usable furniture, or just art while retaining complete functionality.

 

The early designs featured an angular form with a straight wall canted at 75°. After building a full-scale study model and calculating the statics, I realized that this form would not remain stable unless attached to the actual wall. Not wanting to cheat, I reconsidered the initial design. I curved the supporting wall, which allowed the centroid point to move down and back. This allowed for an 18 deep seating surface that could support a 300 lb person. Even with the weight applied at the edge of the seating surface, the chair remains stable.

 

The wall is constructed with 2x4 framing covered with bendable plywood. This was sheathed with a closed-cell foam and covered in white vinyl. The seat form was cut out of plywood on a CNC machine and laminated together. On the seating surface itself, I planned for grooves that would accept looped strips of vinyl-covered foam for comfort.

 

The end result is an intriguing piece of art that you can actually sit on.