A carbon fiber form study rooted in the principle that form follows material. Informed by aerospace and motorsport, curved geometries provide structural support to achieve an ultra-lightweight silhouette.
A carbon fiber form study rooted in the principle that form follows material. Informed by aerospace and motorsport, curved geometries provide structural support to achieve an ultra-lightweight silhouette.
ROLE
Designer, Fabricator
TIMELINE
5 Weeks
ADVISOR
Kimberly Snyder
RECOGNITION
3x International Awards
ROLE
Designer, Fabricator
ADVISOR
Kimberly Snyder
TIMELINE
5 Weeks
RECOGNITION
3x International Awards
ROLE
Designer, Fabricator
RECOGNITION
3x International Awards
TIMELINE
5 Weeks
ADVISOR
Kimberly Snyder
TOOLS
Rhino
Fusion 360
KeyShot
Welding
Carbon Fiber Layup
Physical Modeling
Adobe Suite
INTERACTIVE • 3D
INTERACTIVE • 3D
Walk around it.
In your space.
Walk around it.
In your space.
Walk around it.
In your space.
Move your cursor to turn it, or drag to spin it.
Tap View in AR on iPhone or iPad to place it in your room at full size.
Drag to spin it.
Tap View in AR on iPhone or iPad to place it in your room at full size.
ASSET
intanso.glb
intanso.glb
AR FORMAT
Apple Quick Look
Apple Quick Look
SCALE
1 : 1
1 : 1
RENDERER
three.js
three.js
Loading model…
Drag to rotate
Research.
Research.
Research.
02 / 06
02 / 06
FINDING 01
Four Atlanta showrooms and 40+ chairs set the targets for comfort and proportion.
Four Atlanta showrooms and 40+ chairs set the targets for comfort and proportion.
FINDING 02
Seat height, depth and back angle came from the Humanscale guide: 17″ high, 18″ deep, a 103° back.
Seat height, depth and back angle came from the Humanscale guide: 17″ high, 18″ deep, a 103° back.
FINDING 03
Twenty-one people tested five seat profiles. Back 2 won for everyone over 5′3″, so it became the shell.
Twenty-one people tested five seat profiles. Back 2 won for everyone over 5′3″, so it became the shell.
ERGONOMICS TESTING
Those numbers became a full-scale rig. Twenty-one people sat in it.
21
INDIVIDUALS
5
SEAT PROFILES
2
FAVORITES
FINDING
Back 1 won with everyone 5′3″ and under. Everyone else picked back 2, so back 2 became the shell, lumbar curve pulled down an inch.
Tester 01 / 15
SHOWROOM SURVEY
A Saturday in four Atlanta showrooms. Sat in everything, measured what worked.
40+ REFERENCE CHAIRS
DWR
HERMAN MILLER
CB2
IKEA
HUMANSCALE MANUAL REFERENCE
Seat height, backrest angle and recline came straight off the Humanscale guide, then got checked against modern chairs.
18″
SEAT DEPTH
17″
SEAT HEIGHT
15″
BACK HEIGHT
103º
SEAT BACK ANGLE
Form Development.
Form Development.
Form Development.
03 / 06
03 / 06
SKETCH DEVELOPMENT
Forty silhouettes, pulling from the inspiration board and pushing past it.
Forty silhouettes, pulling from the inspiration board and pushing past it.
SCALE CHECK • AR
AR put the model in the room at 1:1, next to real chairs, before anything got cut.
AR put the model in the room at 1:1, next to real chairs, before anything got cut.
FUSION 360
FORM MODELING
AUGMENTED REALITY
FORM MODELING IN FUSION 360 & RHINO
Seat and back modeled as SubD in Fusion 360 for seamless surfaces, then into Rhino for the bent legs and joinery.
Seat and back modeled as SubD in Fusion 360 for seamless surfaces, then into Rhino for the bent legs and joinery.
ZEBRA ANALYSIS / SEAMLESS SURFACES
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS AND SCALE
The design I landed on, dimensioned and close to final.
The design I landed on, dimensioned and close to final.
JOINERY AND HARDWARE
Every joint is the same move: a 1.5″ screw through the frame tube into a threaded insert set in a TPU spacer.
Every joint is the same move: a 1.5″ screw through the frame tube into a threaded insert set in a TPU spacer.
Prototyping.
Prototyping.
Prototyping.
04 / 06
04 / 06
MATERIAL TESTING
First time with carbon fiber: a small test piece on a PETG mold.
INITIAL FINDINGS
Not enough resin to fill the weave. And curvature added far more structure than I expected.
Not enough resin to fill the weave. And curvature added far more structure than I expected.
PETG MOLD
WET LAYUP
CARBON FIBER REINFORCED PLASTIC
STRESS TESTING
Flat regions failed first; the curved geometry held. The redesign carries the curve further out.
Flat regions failed first; the curved geometry held. The redesign carries the curve further out.
CARBON FIBER WET LAYUP
Second attempt, half-scale back piece. More resin, filled weave, far better finish.
Second attempt, half-scale back piece. More resin, filled weave, far better finish.
Final Model.
Final Model.
Final Model.
05 / 06
05 / 06
MANUFACTURING THE CHAIR LEGS
The hardest part of the build. The flared stance wanted to splay outward under load.
The hardest part of the build. The flared stance wanted to splay outward under load.
MAKING THE MOLD FOR SEAT & BACK
Fifteen 3D printed pieces assembled into one mold, coated in release to survive demolding.
Fifteen 3D printed pieces assembled into one mold, coated in release to survive demolding.
MAKING THE SEAT & BACK
Wet layup, trimmed to size, sanded flat, gloss sprayed.
Wet layup, trimmed to size, sanded flat, gloss sprayed.
AUTOMOTIVE POLISHING
Clear coat, then compound and buff out every micro scratch.
Clear coat, then compound and buff out every micro scratch.
ASSEMBLY
TPU spacers epoxied into the shells, then everything screws together.
TPU spacers epoxied into the shells, then everything screws together.
CARBON FIBER POLISHING
TPU DIVIDER PIECE
MILD STEEL LEGS
Outcome.
Outcome.
Outcome.
06 / 06
06 / 06
A sealed CNC-machined mold would have saved hours of sanding and given the carbon fiber a finished surface straight from the mold. I'd also raise the backrest so it supports a full lean back, not just the lower back.
