Brief
Camber was designed during a directed study with Derek Chen of Council Design. The design of the stool was influenced by the urban environment. The energy of the city is translated into the rocking motion of the stool. Echoing the textures of the city, Camber is made from concrete and steel.
Development
While the energy of the city was a source of inspiration for the rocking, there was also the added benefit of the instability from the movement engaging core muscles for better posture while sitting - something that people often forget about while working at computers all day.
Various curvatures for the base were tested for rocking ability as well as stability. The proportions were also explored in scale models. The curvature of a 15 degree ellipse was determined to be the optimal shape for the base of the stool.
Ergonomic Testing
An ergonomic buck was created from foam core. This was to test the full size rocking motion as well as comfort of the stool. Height adjustments were made by adding layers of foam board to the seat.
Construction
Having never worked with sheet metal or concrete, the fabrication of the stool was a learning experience. A reusable mold was created from CNC'd foam which was then shelled in fiberglass to protect it during the concrete pour. In order to reduce the overall weight of the stool, the base has an interior concave curvature. The sheet metal halves were cut from 20 gauge sheet steel and bent into their conical shapes. In order to highlight the construction of the stool, the steel halves were painted contrasting colors.
