Beke Tlacualoyan Icpalli by John G Williams

Beke Tlacualoyan Icpalli by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli in Caltlapechtli Tlachihchihualiztli Competition Category.

TepoztliCaltlapechtli· 2019

Beke Tlacualoyan Icpalli

by John G Williams

Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture

Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli Winner in Caltlapechtli Category

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The Design

About Beke Tlacualoyan Icpalli

Beke quihtoznequi 'tlamatcayotl' ihuan 'monepanoa'. In Beke tlacualoyan icpalli tlachihualiztli quipalehuia se ergonomico ihuan cualnezqui tlamatcayotl, ihuan no yehua se nepanoliztli ica in tlalpantli itech in tlacualoyan meza. In tlachihualiztli quitlacaita in yancuic tlamatcayotl itech in Danish Modern tlanemiliztli, ihuan no quipia se tlatlamantililli chicahuac cuahuitl icpaltzin ihuan cuitlapan; quicetilia South African Cape Dutch caltechihualiztli tlamachiotl ica se hueyi caltechihualiztli ixnezcayotl; ihuan quitequitiltia se chipahuac ash cuahuitl tlaquetzalli ic quinextia in inetlanquiliz in tlalticpac ihuan cemanahuac chicahuac cuahuitl.

The Recognition

About the Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli

Beke Tlacualoyan Icpalli ca in quicuic in Mahuizolli A' Design Award Tepoztli, tlamahuizoliztli tlen momaca in cualli dizayno in quitlalia in tlen monequi ipan tequitl ihuan tlachihualiztli in quimaca in cualli tlachihualli. In quicuicah Tepoztli quinextia in hueyi tlamatiliztli, toltecayotl ihuan ihuelitiliztli intlachihuanime. Ca quinequi in Beke Tlacualoyan Icpalli ca tlazohtli, mahuiztic, yancuic ihuan motequiuhtia. Ni dizayno in quicuic Tepoztli quihuelitia in tlamatiliztli ihuan quipia chicahualiztli tlen tepoztli. Beke Tlacualoyan Icpalli quicualtia in nemiliztli ihuan quihuelitia in cemanahuac ica cualli.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: The Beke design uses a combination of innovative components.
The seat is a unique design laminated from individually shaped profiles to yield the final solid hardwood architectural form.
The rear legs are formed in two parts: first by steam bending the graceful form, and then laminating for long term dimensional stability.
The rails are profiled in an attempt to reinforce the overall lightness and sense of peace, and to support the cantilevered seat over the front rail.
Dimensions & Packaging: Overall dimensions: 880mm high; 520mm wide; 600mm deep
Seat size in plan: 520mm wide x 440 mm deep
Backrest size in elevation: 540mm wide x 200mm high
Seat height from floor: 460mm. Raked back at 5 degrees
Back rest height from floor: 825mm. Raked back at 18 degrees
Weight: 5.5kg
Tags: Beke, dining chair, south africa, hardwood, curved, danish modern, minimalist, ash, walnut, graceful
Production Technology: The chair design incorporates a number of innovative components: custom profiled hardwood seat; steam bent rear legs; coopered backrest; and shaped rails:
Custom profiled hardwood seat. The seat is constructed from over twenty individually shaped profiles that are formed from a solid hardwood, such as walnut. The laminated rough form is finished with purpose modified sanding tooling, to realize the final shape. Threaded inserts in the base of the seat provide strong engineered connection to the frame for the cantilevered seat form.
Steam bent rear legs. The rear legs are steam bent in two pieces; cooled and stabilized; and then laminated to generate the final leg forms. Regular lamination was discarded on account of the excessive glue joints implied; and steam bending alone risked dimensional instability over time. This innovative combination captures the best of both techniques.
Coopered backrest. Coopering is the ancient art of constructing curved forms as used in barrel construction. The backrest staves are cut with edges 1 degree off perpendicular so that, when glued together, they pull into the curved form. Modified power tools are used to finish shape the graceful curves.
Shaped rails. The rails incorporate forms that echo local Cape Dutch architecture. These are achieved by trimming the rails to custom templates.
Design Challenge: The hardest part of this design was to make sure that the end result was clean, simple and graceful. On multiple occasions unduly complicated ideas were abandoned in favour of simpler, cleaner design details
Research: The Carl Hansen library of designs were carefully reviewed and analysed;
Earlier designs were critiqued, including last year's Zene design;
Various sweeping architectural forms were referenced;
Steam bending method and realisation were researched drawing on various inputs including helpful general introduction by Veritas;
Template cutting and trimming methods were researched and prototyped, to understand the boundaries and possibilities.
Inspiration: Beke means 'peace' and 'to be connected to'. This design is intended to put the user at ease, for extended comfort at the dining table – to provide an ergonomic and aesthetic sense of peace. The design attempts to realize this sense of well-being, and at the same time to support a sense of connection with the space at the table, and hence engagement with the other diners.
The design: respects the simplicity of the Danish Modern, and yet incorporates a luxurious solid hardwood seat and back; integrates South African Cape Dutch architectural motifs with a sweeping architectural profile; uses a clean ash frame to showcase the richness of local and international hardwoods.
Project Duration: Work started on the design in March 2018 and was completed it in May 2018.
Operation Flow: The chair works well at the dining table and, when pushed back or used elsewhere, is also comfortable for extended periods of time. Moving the chair around is easy – the hand naturally finds the hand-shaped indent at the bottom edge of the backrest and the well-balanced chair is readily lifted from this point
Patents: UK IP Office Registered Design: 6047911
Holder: John Griffith Williams, 2018
Team Members: John G Williams
Image Credits: All photos by John G Williams