Repose Función Principal: Cadeira de Repouso by John G Williams

Repose Función Principal: Cadeira de Repouso by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 A' Design Award de Ferro in Deseño de Mobiliario Competition Category.

FerroMobiliario· 2019

Repose Función Principal: Cadeira de Repouso

by John G Williams

Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture

A' Design Award de Ferro Winner in Mobiliario Category

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The Design

About Repose Función Principal: Cadeira de Repouso

Texto do Libro: Repose é unha cadeira de repouso feita de madeira maciza de frondosa. A estrutura é de freixo americano, e o asento e o respaldo son de nogueira americana. O asento profundo e curvado fórmase laminando pezas de madeira talladas con bordos angulados, unha versión extrema do método de tonelaría empregado na construción de barrís. As curvas interiores son mecanizadas ata acadar unha superficie lisa mediante ferramentas personalizadas, mentres que a parte superior dos brazos conserva unha textura segmentada. As patas traseiras son curvadas ao vapor e axudan a estabilizar os brazos. As unións de espiga con cavila pasante engaden resistencia. O obxectivo era acadar o confort dunha cadeira tapizada empregando unicamente madeira maciza.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Ferro

Repose Función Principal: Cadeira de Repouso gañou o A' Design Award de Ferro, un recoñecemento prestixioso outorgado a bos deseños que cumpren os requisitos profesionais e industriais esperados de creacións ben deseñadas. Os gañadores Ferro demostran a gran habilidade, a alta especialización, a comprensión experta e a capacidade creativa dos seus creadores. Espérase que Repose Función Principal: Cadeira de Repouso sexa unha creación moi apreciada, admirada e querida que é práctica e innovadora. Este deseño gañador do A' Design Award de Ferro integra as mellores prácticas do sector e ten características técnicas competentes ligadas ao saber facer e ao talento. Repose Función Principal: Cadeira de Repouso é respectado pola súa minuciosidade e está deseñado para proporcionar melloras na calidade de vida que axudan a facer do mundo un lugar mellor.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Repose lounge chair is constructed from solid timber. The curved form is realized by an extreme form of the 'coopering' process - similar to the process used to construct round barrels from staves of timber.
Dimensions & Packaging: W 800, D 800, H 830 mm
Constructed from solid hardwood timber. Frame: American Ash. Seat and Back: American Walnut.
Joints use draw bore tenon joints for extra strength
Tags: Lounge, chair, wooden, artisanal, Danish, timber, art
Production Technology: This chair is not moulded, as some might expect, but is formed from solid timber. The deep sweeping form of the seat is made by laminating various pieces of timber, with angled edges, to form the desired curves. The inside curves are machined into smooth curves with custom made tooling; but the arm uppers retain some of the segmented feel - smooth enough and yet conveying a sense of where the piece came from. The rear legs are steam bent, to retain the overall simplicity, and to attenuate and stabilize the top part of the chair arms. The backrest is also a curved laminated, solid-wood form. It would also be possible to add a thin seat cushion, or perhaps to re-conceive the entire backrest as a custom moulded leather cushion
Design Challenge: The major unknown was how strong the seat section would be in bending - in other words if someone sat on the arms, would they break? It became apparent that the arms would need additional support given the depth of the form, and the inevitable flexibility (despite steps taken to add strength in the manufacturing process). It was found that the support pins at the rear of the arms were sufficient to stabilize the entire form - which was confirmed through trial and error.
Overall the challenge was to create a lounge chair that, despite being solid timber, would be as comfortable as an upholstered equivalent
Research: The method drew heavily on the methods used in earlier designs (eg Zene submitted last year), but took these to extremes to experiment with the art of the possible.
New tooling was developed, in the form of a type of drum sander run between centres on a woodworking lathe, to machine the large concave curves
Inspiration: The inspirational question behind Repose was: if the design language at the core of the Beke and Zene dining ranges were extended to lounge furniture, what would that look like? Could a form be created out of beautiful solid hardwood timber that was profoundly comfortable even though it may be challenging to manufacture? Could some sort of modern shell design be crafted out of solid timber to yield a beautiful striking new design ?
Project Duration: The project was designed and the first prototype built in 4 weeks, starting Dec 2018 and completing in Jan 2019 in Johannesburg South Africa. The design was refined and built in finished materials (Ash and Walnut) over the following 4 weeks.
Operation Flow: The user settles comfortably down into the seat using the armrests.
Various postures are supported sitting comfortably down in the seat.
Getting back out of the seat is very easy, and facilitated by the arms.
Patents: UK IPO design registration: 6053688
Team Members: John G Williams
Image Credits: All images: John G Williams