Response 4

For this Project, I started out very unsure as to what shape my stool would be. I started to think about structure, and i knew that three legs makes a tool balance the best, so I decided to use a triangle as my main form. from there, I thought about how to give me stool some sort of structure, and aesthetically, I wanted the stool to look as close to one solid form as possible, so I decided to put a skeletal structure in the middle of a triangular prism, with a line perpendicular to one side of the triangle dissecting the object into two right triangles instead of one equilateral triangle. Next, for support I put two pieces of cardboard perpendicular to that previous  cardboard piece that dissected the triangle. This gave the stool added support. 

When I decided to put the top of the box stool on to make a seating surface, I was originally going to cut the extra cardboard that came at each point of the triangle after it's connection to the other face of the stool, but then i decided , since it was uniform on all sides, that I could incorporate it into the overall design. I make the triangle on the top have each point go to the very end of the extra cardboard on each point, which gave the subtractive causality on all sides. I did this because it was a simple design yet I thought it worked well.

Diao -- Response 4

Response 4

For this project I wanted to make a stool that was as functional as possible. I was able to create my stool with just under a half sheet of cardboard. In addition, I wanted to build a design that would be as sturdy as possible. I knew in order to do that my design needed to distribute the sitter's weight evenly. The even design facilitates just that.

We use chairs in our everyday lives, however, only a few of us will spend time on them and take a look at the design and structure.

When I first started with my project, I wanted to create a stool with simple geometric shapes. I picked rectangular, triangle and square because they give the impressions of hardness and strength to people. I did a lot of experiments to make my stool to look chic and tried to find the best way to combine as well as construct a secure stool. In order to make a firm stool, high intensity of the cardboard is need in my asymmetric case. I folded the cardboard into triangular pillar again and again and stuff it in my main prop. We are not allowed to apply glue or tapes on the stool, as I result, I chose to use cutting and jointing method to combine the pieces. 

The way I’m thinking about designing my stool is split it into three parts.  These parts not only act as decorations on my stool but also a way to combine and enforce the main triangular pillar. I never realized how hard it could be to make a firm stool by using cardboard.It is a really no easy task to create a sense of aesthetic and at the same time, keep it functional. I have also learned that there are limitations to put your thoughts into reality due to the materials and requirements. Even though my stool does not look like my intended design, I am surprise to see how little changes it will bring to the overall appearance and feeling of an object.

In conclusion, I did learn a lot through this project, it is a very interesting and fun project to be working on. Although my stool looks like nothing special, I still feels great to see my unique stool, full of my efforts finally accomplished.

        

Response 4

Stool Document 

              

       

1. I made this stool with an intention that this design should make people not only rest but also fun. For that, first I imagined that who would sit this chair. It is of course good if it is used for everyone with any purpose, but for my stool, I decided that somebody who is physically and mentally tired will be the perfect person to sit here to rest. Because it is made of paper, it is not supposed to be stable chair for some people who study for a long time.

     

2.  To make people physically feel comfortable, I had to make them not feel their weight. However, I changed my mind, and began to make it intentionally ‘not stable.’ Like a swing chair or hammock, something movable make people feel more comfortable. With five large vertical rectangles pointing centre with connected edges, people are able to move their body twisting or rolling from side to side.

    3.     To make people mentally rest, I borrowed an idea of “marble rail” such as the picture. When the marble starts to roll at the highest point, it goes following various kinds of rails and finally arrives the lowest spot. This marble rail let people brain rest and refresh. Inspired by this, I made simplified version of marble rail at the backside of my stool in order to make people enjoy when they sit here.

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4.    I used two different basic strategies to make it stable without using glue. 

First, I made five vertical holes on front bottom side to insert five rectangles into it. It makes rectangles fixed where they need to be, and also aesthetically nailed not showing edges. 

The other strategy that I used to combine rectangles and rounded edges is to cut a little bit horizontal way for each panel, and insert together. I used this for one of the upper part rounded panel, and others including marble rail part are cut only one edge and inserted. I utilized the marble rail part not only for its function to make people mentally rest, but also for its structural strength fixing and connecting pieces. 

Response 4

            When I heard we had to use cardboard for this project, my immediate word association was “box.” I took that word and ran with it. For my project, I decided to construct a box-style stool. Partially because I remember as a kid receiving packages to summer camp, and for weeks using the boxes as makeshift tables and chairs in the cabin; mostly because I thought it would be the best shape to use to guarantee stability. In addition, it seemed to be the way to use the least amount of cardboard, because it could be easily constructed from one continuous sheet. For my rough draft, I attempted to make an origami style folded box. It did not work—cardboard is, evidently, thicker than paper and the creases did not stay in place well. It fell apart when I sat on it.

For my final project, I changed my design and decided to use a method of folding and cutting slits to create a structural network of support on the inside. Looking at my project, the perceived structure is that it is held up by the “outer walls” of the box—it is not apparent that there is anything underneath. However, flipping it over, the physical structure becomes clear—I used something in between a post and lintel and a truss style of skeleton to support the part that the user sits on.

In lecture, I learned that the detail is “the bridge between the builder and the user.” An important detail of my stool is the leg rest I created by folding the top part over to the underside. This also serves as a connection piece that holds the entire stool together—which is where the tectonic of the stool comes in. I took the idea of constructing a box for its stability, and added the leg rest portion for both aesthetics and comfort. The leg rest obscures the way the stool is actually constructed. The extended piece of cardboard is meant to follow the shape of the back of a bent knee as the user sits on the stool. According to Frascari, details are “nothing more than signs, the meanings of which are learned only by experience.” It may not be clear to an onlooker that this is the purpose of the extended piece of cardboard, but the user is the one who can experience this detail as an added comfort.

Response 4

The intention of the conceptual design of my stool came from the idea of the stool being able to function and be useful based off of one detail piece; in my stool that detail piece is the little piece of cardboard that goes through the folds underneath the seat of my stool. In Richard Hill's " Purpose, Function, and Use" text, he defines function as an "execution of the object's purpose", purpose is defined as the "human intention in relation to the object", and finally attempts to define the use of an object as not continuously needing a human presence in order to be satisfying human use (Hill 199). The function of my stool was to be able to hold a person's weight when he or she sits on it. The usefulness of my stool comes from the detail that this stool is easily taken apart and reassembled with one little piece of cardboard. The usefulness of this stool also comes from this stool's structure only being composed of one piece of cardboard and held together with the little piece. The idea of entirety of the stool being very dependent on am additional little piece of cardboard was also to highlight the durability of the structure and material on its own. 

Response 4: Stool Final Project

As Richard Hill says, “architecture is aesthetically distinctive because it is an art of design” (Hill, 194). This project enlightened me to the nuances in the design process as well as the challenges. For my project, it was a challenge to keep the structure in mind, while simultaneously producing a stool that was aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

My stool evolved significantly from initial concept to finished product. I wanted the top of my stool to be aesthetically minimalistic because the base of my stool was much more complex. I played around for awhile trying to determine what fastening pattern would create the most stable product. I ended up determining the “x” pattern to be the most stable. My first draft used what I am dubbing as the “x-fastener” technique that I ultimately ended up using for my final stool, but to a lesser extent. Initially I only incorporated one “x-fastener” but added another in my final stool in order to sustain more weight. 

My completed stool utilized the “x-fastener” not only for structural purposes but also as ornament in the stool. The “x-fastener” look resulted in an edgier more contemporary stool - something I was aiming for. 

Overall, I was surprised and pleased at how the notching and folding methods I used could result in such a sturdy stool. The ornamentation of my chair was something I really struggled with initially. In the Frascari reading on tectonic expression, he notes the selection of specific details to express function (Frascari, 506). This is appropriate in relation to my stool because my details were very function oriented. For example, the crossed legs express the function of the structure and sturdiness of the stool. 

Further, the yellow and white cardboard adhered to my minimalist and contemporary concept I had in mind for my stool. Something I am proud about is the fact that my stool celebrates the structure while not interfering with the purpose. By this I mean that although the structure of my stool is visible on the bottom half, the “x-fastener” patter is shielded by my removable tops. This allowed the purpose of my stool to remain well communicated.   

       

Response 4: Stool Document - Jake Beason

My Stool 

When designing my stool, my main concern was for it to function properly – that is to successfully and comfortably support someone.  With this mindset, I concluded that the best route to achieve a sturdy stool while not neglecting its aesthetics would be to hide the structure within the body of it.    

 As a result, the main structure of my stool is hidden in the very center; it can be observed when the top of the stool is removed.  The lines from the exterior cross shape seem to continue into the interior and surround a “platform” that bears most of the weight.  This structure along with the four small inserts in each wing of the cross create an interesting tectonic: “opposing forces” work to keep the stool erect and not collapse under the weight of the user.  In reference to the Roth reading, the overall interior of my stool can be considered the physical structure. 

This structure is very similar to that of my draft; however, the very center (the platform) was added to take on most of the weight.  Overall, my final structure was made with careful attention to detail and is much more sturdy than my draft.

 As described earlier, the exterior of my stool is much more concerned with aesthetics.   The geometric shapes and sharp edges create a very clean and modern feeling.  The four indents about the exterior would be considered "formal joints" in reference to detail and Frascari's article.  These joints not only contribute to the visual appeal, but they serve as mediators between the exterior shell and interior structure of the stool.


The octagonal top came about as a result of the critique of my draft.  While I originally had a square top, I found that the corners and edges of the square began bending; the octagonal top eliminates the weak corners of the square and allows the lid to be flush against the edge of the stool.  This top also creates four interesting overhangs.

Conceptually, I hoped to create a lid that was permanently attached to the top, but I realized that access to the interior structure would be beneficial in the case of a structure malfunction.  For this reason, the lid is easily removable and consists of only two tabs that fasten it to the remainder of the stool.

Overall, I believe I was very successful in creating a stool.  Not only is it contemporary and visually appealing, but it actually works - when there is not enough seating in my dorm room, my friends even use it!