Take a Seat - 1st Yr Chair Design

Before finishing for the summer 1st Year students were asked to design and make a model of their dream chair.  They were asked....

What Makes the perfect chair?

    - Is it comfort?
    - Is it the look of the chair that matters to you - its shape, colour and the materials used to make it?
    - Is its use more important than anything else?
    - Or is it about something else entirely?

We took a look at a variety of chairs for inspiration.

Eileen Gray

We talked about the conventional aspects of a chair....

• Legs:   How many? Three? Four? Does is need legs? Can you replace the legs with something else.

• Seat:    Shape. High back. Low back. Wide. Narrow. Soft. Hard. Arm rests.

Each of the students responded in a different way to the brief, some placing more importance on design, while others prioritised comfort. The results were fantastic. Here are just a few of the many chair models....

 Orla Molloy created this innovative chair from cutlery. It is remarkable in its design, construction and balance.

 Maedhbh Honan made this chair, inspired by Alice and Wonderland from clay. I love the way she incorporated a spillage into the design for extra balance and added comfort.

 Suzanne Ever's chair made from the limbs of old barbies is so surreal and quirky. The irony of using human shaped legs for the legs of the chair is fantastic, and the arms at the back are there, ready to catch you when you sit down.

 Orla Molloy also created this garden lounger designed for two people to sit side by side. It allows the pair to sit facing each other so they can relax while conversing. 

Here are some more brilliant designs......