Beke Kiti cha Kulia Chakula by John G Williams is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2019 Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Samani Competition Category.
ChumaSamani· 2019
Beke Kiti cha Kulia Chakula
Client: John G Williams Fine Furniture
Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award Winner in Samani Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #70678The Design
About Beke Kiti cha Kulia Chakula
Beke maana yake ni 'amani' na 'kuunganishwa na'. Muundo wa kiti cha kulia cha Beke unaunga mkono hisia ya amani kwa mtazamo wa ergonomiki na urembo, na wakati huo huo hisia ya kuunganishwa na nafasi mezani. Muundo huu unaheshimu urahisi wa falsafa ya Danish Modern, na bado unajumuisha kiti na mgongo uliochongwa wa mbao ngumu; unaunganisha michoro ya usanifu wa Cape Dutch wa Afrika Kusini na mtaro wa usanifu unaozunguka; na unatumia fremu safi ya mti wa ash kuonyesha utajiri wa mbao ngumu za ndani na za kimataifa.
The Recognition
About the Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award
Beke Kiti cha Kulia Chakula ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima unaotolewa kwa miundo mizuri inayokidhi mahitaji ya kitaalamu na ya kiviwanda yanayotarajiwa kutoka kwa kazi zilizobuniwa vizuri. Washindi wa Chuma huonyesha ustadi mkubwa, utaalamu wa hali ya juu, uelewa wa kitaalamu na uwezo wa kibunifu wa waumbaji wao. Beke Kiti cha Kulia Chakula inatarajiwa kuwa kazi inayothaminiwa sana, kupendwa na kuenziwa, ambayo ni ya vitendo na bunifu. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award unajumuisha mbinu bora za tasnia na una sifa za kiufundi zenye uwezo zilizounganishwa na ujuzi na kipaji. Beke Kiti cha Kulia Chakula inaheshimiwa kwa uangalifu wake na imebuniwa kutoa maboresho ya ubora wa maisha yanayosaidia kuufanya ulimwengu kuwa mahali bora zaidi.
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
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