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Press Release

DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Timothy Hardman Receives the A' Design Award for Rollerback Rocker Chair in Furniture Design

Timothy Hardman recognized for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 28, 2022 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category for Rollerback Rocker Chair by Timothy Hardman. The award was conferred within the 2021 - 2022 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

The A' Design Award Explained

The Iron A' Design Award is awarded to good designs that meet the rigorous professional and industrial standards set by the A' Design Awards. This recognition is reserved for works that demonstrate a solid understanding of design principles and show creativity within their execution. Recipients of the Iron A' Design Award are acknowledged for their practical innovations and contributions to their respective fields, providing solutions that improve quality of life and foster positive change. These designs are a testament to the skill and dedication of their creators, showcasing their ability to address real-world challenges through thoughtful design.

More About Rollerback Rocker Chair

Rollerback Rocker is a rocking chair made for adjustable, active seating. The welded metal frame holds hand-cut walnut accents that slot into the structure and are fixed with set screws. The cylindrical leather cushions spin on mounting rods, so a seated user can roll them and change the back support at any moment. The chair also rocks forwards and backwards, adding a second form of movement. The walnut inserts soften the angles of the metal frame. The chair measures 570 mm by 570 mm by 920 mm.

About Timothy Hardman

Timothy Hardman has been making furniture since 2010. He specializes in an organic modernism style of design, bridging the natural curves and textures of wood with geometric structures. Located in San Francisco, California, his work heavily features the native Californian Claro Walnut. His aim is to create a balance of nature, aesthetic, and functionality in each piece he makes.

Award Record

This recognition makes Timothy Hardman a winner of 1 A' Design Award.

About the A' Furniture Design Award

The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Typical entries include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. The awarded furniture designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/furniture

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project
Rollerback Rocker Chair
Function
Chair
Category
Furniture Design
Discipline
Industrial Design
Industry
Furniture & Home
Colors
Indian Red, Maroon, Sienna, Black and Peru
Images
3

The Recognition

Laureate
Timothy Hardman
Country
United States of America
Recognition
A' Design Award
Edition
2021 - 2022
Design ID
#134777

Design Details

Unique Properties
The Rollerback Rocking chair is a unique combination of materials. The metal frame is accented with hand-cut walnut inserts, giving the piece an detailed accent that allows less severe angles than a pure metal frame. The leather cushions allow for the user to adjust and roll the cylinders as they please, letting them interact with the chair in a unique way.
Inspiration
Timothy's inspiration for this piece mostly came from his disinterest in armchairs. Seating is one of the most intimate furniture designs as it requires the most physical interaction of the user. By incorporating freely moving cushions on the chair, the user can rock in it as well as adjust while seated by rolling their back into the cushions as needed.
Research
This piece rested on precise geometry. Designing a chair requires very subtle angles, which only increases when doing a rocking chair. Add to that the walnut accents and the attention to detail in this piece was immense. Timothy spent weeks designing this piece and going over the math to get it right before starting.
Challenge
The hardest part of this project was the walnut inserts. In order to get the curved arm insert in, the chair needed to be welded together with the insert in, allowing no margin for error or second shot once it was in.
Realization and Technology
This piece features a welded metal frame that has hand cut walnut accents. The walnut accents slot into the frame and are attached with set screws. The piece required immense attention to detail to get the pieces to set into the metal correctly, especially the curved arm insert. The legs are attached with Festool domino joiner and the cushions are sewn with leather.
Operation and Interaction
This rocking chair allows for the user to interact with it in many ways. The user can rock forwards and backwards as well as up and down. The cylindrical cushions can spin on their mounting rods and let the user continually adjust while seated.
Project Duration and Location
The project started in October 2020 in San Francisco and finished in June 2021.
Specifications
570 mm x 570 mm x 920 mm
Keywords
walnut, claro walnut, chair, armchair, leather, upholstery, rocking chair

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