Sustainable design
On the principal that an interesting answer is most likely to come from an interesting question, I designed this furniture with sustainability high on the agenda. Really good design is about visualising a better tomorrow.
There is a noble tradition which includes Windsor chairs, the Shakers, the Mini, where appearance is born of a fresh world view. To me, now, this includes the many facets of sustainability.
Right livelihood, asking the best of makers, to ask less is an insult.
Choice of materials and production techniques that have the minimum adverse environmental impact.
Making things that are a delight to own, because they satisfy practically and visually and don't let you down.
For an object to be truly sustainable it must be sound from the raw material, through production, to life long use. The most important aspects of a sustainable object is peoples wish to sustain it. It goes without saying that comfort and general user convenience have to be taken seriously.
Structure
A chair has to support a dynamic load many
times its own weight. The chairs are designed as fully triangulated
structures where all the joints can be pivots and act in sheer or
compression. However to overcome the stiffness of triangulation, one or
more sides of the notional triangles are curved and thus allow
flexibility which in turn makes the structure stronger, lighter and
more comfortable.
© David Colwell 2004