Wei Jingye and Yu Xiaowei · CLIENT: Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts
Branching is a lounge chair inspired by the growth of tree branches. The frame is made of aluminum alloy and shaped by CNC machining. The seat and backrest are made of elm wood, formed by CNC machining and handwork. Bolt connections join the parts, so the chair can be taken apart and packed flat for transport. Finite element analysis was used to refine the thickness and balance of the metal supports. Seat height, seat depth and backrest angle follow ergonomic data. Branching suits homes, galleries and office waiting areas.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Degenerate Lounge Chair explores the tension and balance between natural organic forms and modern industrial logic. The core design element lies in the abstract extraction of the logic of tree growth, simplifying the complex natural branching into a powerful metal frame that supports the warm, solid wood seat. The piece blends the warm texture of solid wood with the cool, dynamic metal, presenting an upward-growing modern industrial aesthetic that interprets modern craftsmanship's tribute to and reconstruction of natural vitality.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- 520 mm × 600 mm × 760 mm. Finite element analysis was used during the design process to optimize the thickness and center of gravity distribution of the metal support, ensuring a lightweight visual effect while maintaining extremely high stability. The product features a detachable structure design, significantly reducing carbon emissions during transportation and reflecting a sustainable design philosophy.
- Tags
- Branching, Lounge Chair, Bionic Design, Organic Modernism, Material Contrast
- Production Technology
- The main frame is made of aluminum alloy and manufactured using CNC machining technology. The seat and backrest are made of high-quality elm wood, shaped through CNC machining and handcrafting. Bolt connections are used at the joints, ensuring the chair's smooth curves while also accommodating mass production and convenient flat packaging.
- Design Challenge
- The biggest challenge was maintaining the visual appeal of the slender branches while ensuring their load-bearing safety as a seat. By repeatedly refining the structural nodes and connection details, the stress relationship and connection logic between the metal frame and the solid wood panels were clarified, making the overall structure both lightweight and safe.
- Project Duration
- It will begin in Shenyang in January 2025, and the prototype will be completed and produced in June 2025, and then exhibited at the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts Museum in Shenyang.
- Operation Flow
- The cascading lounge chair is suitable for modern home spaces, galleries, or upscale office waiting areas. Its design strictly adheres to ergonomic data, with precise control over seat height, seat depth, backrest angle, and support curves to conform to the contours of the back and hips, providing stable and comfortable support and enhancing comfort during extended use. The warm texture of the natural wood contrasts sharply with the precision craftsmanship of the metal structure, achieving a balance between natural aesthetics and rational construction.
- Research
- This study focuses on how to use parametric tools to simplify and refine traditional biomimetic furniture. By analyzing the relationship between the branching angle of tree branches and gravity support, it seeks the optimal solution between artistic expression and industrial manufacturing. This research successfully transforms complex organic forms into detachable structures, solving the bottleneck problems of logistics and mass production in biomimetic furniture.
- Inspiration
- The design draws inspiration from the phototropic growth of tree branches in a forest. It captures the dynamic moment of branches stretching and supporting each other, transforming this into a structurally sound language. Through digital refinement, the originally random natural forms are transformed into a geometric language that aligns with modern aesthetics and industrial production. The chair's form, based on minimalism, incorporates biomimetic lines, aiming to inject a flowing life energy into the otherwise cold interior space.
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