ORGANIC THRONEA custom made chair for Louise
Chair. 2017.
Development
This chair was designed in collaboration with high school student Louise. She studied at a school for students with disabilities. We met through workshops where I learned about her needs and form preferences. She preferred an organic form rather than a typical straight-lined chair.
The prototype was developed after her measurements and body structure. Due to Louise’s Down syndrome, she tends to overbend her upper body. Her favoured position is sitting with her legs crossed and her upper body leaning forward. This is affecting her posture, resulting in back pain. I decided to make an armchair with an emphasis on sitting more ergonomically. The seat is made on an angle to position the body towards the back of the chair, together with a lower backrest giving better support. In this way, she could sit with both feet on the ground for improved balance and posture.
In my design process, I have implemented the feeling of sitting on a horse’s back- Louise’s favorite spare time activity. This is for me a powerful, royal feeling. She is a person who loves the excitement through speed, such as going down ski slopes in the wintertime, and over waves in the summertime. This organic-shaped throne is my take on expressing her personality.
Louise's favoured position, sitting with her legs crossed.
Louise, sitting with her feet on the ground on a full-scale prototype chair, made after her measurements.
Miniature prototypes.
Popsticle sticks, paper, cardboard paper. Handmade.
10 x 8 x7 CM
Skeleton of birch wood, covered in bent airplane plywood. Handmade. 102 x 60 x 87 CM
User appropriate
Through workshops, I found, that Louise favors a crossed-legged position while sitting. This is typical for people with Down syndrome.
By having Louise test the prototype chair, I were able to design it after her body
measurements, to let her feet touch the ground for a better body posture.
The initial miniature model was developed into a full-sized chair. The skeleton on the full-sized chair is made of MDF and pine studs. The chair contains four different-sized half circles, the top and bottom ones share the same measurements. The seat is on a slight angle to slide down to the backrest for better back support and posture while seated.
Louise’s throne, specially made for her height, lets her find balance with both feet on the ground. Her posture is supported by the backrest and the armrests are forcing both feet to stay on the ground, this stops her from crunching her upper body, which has caused her to have back pain.
The skeleton is covered by aircraft plywood. Aircraft plywood, in comparison to normal plywood, can be bent horizontally, due to three wood fibers put together in different directions. The first layer is in one direction, the second layer is in the opposite direction, and the third layer is in the same direction as the first. It is due to the properties within the material I could bend the plywood around the back of the chair in a half circle, but also the wooden strips to follow the inner circles of the backrest.
Louise, testing her custom made organic throne fot the first time.
Process
