Saddle chair

A plywood chair with two kinds of plywood: pre-manufactured birch ply, and bent paper-backed veneer.

In a furniture design studio at UPenn, we were asked to design a chair using only plywood that would be suitable for a museum cafe, could be turned upside down on a table, and would be comfortable for short durations. We studied various approaches to ergonomics of sitting, which I distilled, gender notwithstanding, to a slightly angled back and a smooth contact under the mid-hamstrings, where some important veins allegedly run. I designed something like a saddle, where the body would make contact with the more precious/labored-on pieces. As tricky glue-up, the veneer for the seat slipped slightly in the vacuum bag, lending to a slight melting appearance.

This was shown at the Philly(Heart)Design exhibition in 2007.