Repose Ka Hana Nui: Noho Hoʻomaha by John G Williams

Repose Ka Hana Nui: Noho Hoʻomaha by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 A' Design Award Hao in Hoʻolālā Lako Hale Competition Category.

HaoLako Hale· 2019

Repose Ka Hana Nui: Noho Hoʻomaha

by John G Williams

Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture

A' Design Award Hao Winner in Lako Hale Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Repose Ka Hana Nui: Noho Hoʻomaha

Kikokikona Puke: He noho hoʻomaha ʻo Repose i hana ʻia mai ka lāʻau paʻa koʻikoʻi. He ash ʻAmelika ke anoano, a he walnut ʻAmelika ka noho a me ke kua. Hana ʻia ka noho piko hohonu ma ke kuʻi ʻana i nā ʻāpana lāʻau i hoʻokala ʻia me nā kihi kapekape, he ʻano hoʻonui loa ia o ke ʻano hana pahu ʻia (coopering) i hoʻohana ʻia i ke kūkulu ʻana i nā pahu wai. Hoʻomāhuahua ʻia nā piko o loko me nā mīkini kūikawā a lilo i mea paheʻe, akā, mālama ʻia ke ʻano ʻāpana ʻāpana ma luna o nā lima noho. Hoʻokala ʻia nā wāwae hope me ka mahu (steam bent) a kōkua lākou e hoʻopaʻa i nā lima noho. Hoʻohui ʻia ka ikaika ma o nā hui tenon "draw bore". ʻO ka pahuhopu, ʻo ia ka hoʻokō ʻana i ka ʻoluʻolu like me kā ka noho i uhi ʻia i ke kapa, me ka lāʻau paʻa wale nō.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Hao

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā Repose Ka Hana Nui: Noho Hoʻomaha i ka A' Design Award Hao, he ʻike hoʻohanohano i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā maikaʻi e hoʻokō ana i nā koi ʻoihana a ʻoihana hana i manaʻo ʻia mai nā mea hoʻokumu i hana maikaʻi ʻia. Hōʻike nā lanakila Hao i ka mākau nui, ka loea kiʻekiʻe, ka ʻike akamai a me ka hiki hana noʻeau o ka poʻe i hana iā lākou. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā Repose Ka Hana Nui: Noho Hoʻomaha he mea hoʻokumu i mahalo nui ʻia, hoʻohiwahiwa ʻia a aloha ʻia e pono a hou. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Hao e hoʻohui ana i nā hana maikaʻi loa o ka ʻoihana a loaʻa nā ʻano ʻenehana mākaukau i hui pū ʻia me ka ʻike hana a me ka makakoho. Mahalo ʻia ka hoʻolālā Repose Ka Hana Nui: Noho Hoʻomaha no kona nānā pono a ua hoʻolālā ʻia e hāʻawi i nā hoʻomaikaʻi ola e kōkua ai i ka hana ʻana i ka honua i wahi maikaʻi aku.

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