Furniture
Read here about furniture, those consumer products, furnishings and other tensegrity-based movable objects that support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, holding objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or storing things.
Overview
Tensegrity furniture designs are constrained by the conventional design of such artifacts, and their need to accommodate common, expected affordances such as seats, doors, and shelves to contain, organize or just co-exist with other household goods and activities.
Tables
Cassina 713/714 Tensegrity Table
Designed by Theodore Waddel (b. 1930). After graduating in Chemistry (1950) and earning a Masters’ in Business Administration in 1951 from Cornell, Theodore Waddell did his Masters in Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania (1964) and took a first in Architecture at Florence (1968). He practiced as an architect and industrial designer in Italy for fifteen years, making a name for himself also as photographer. He returned to the USA and set up practice in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he now lives and works. Five of his lamps are to be seen in the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, and two are in the permanent collection at the MoMA in New York; this museum dedicated a special exhibition to him in 1969. The 713/714 Tensegrity tables designed for Cassina have been in the catalogue since 1972.
Links: Cassina catalog page http://www.cassina.com/en/collection/tables/713714 Cassina page on Waddell, http://www.cassina.com/en/designer/theodore-waddell
Countour Table by Cuthbert
Robby Cuthbert produces the contour table, which won the Editor's Choice at the 2015 Bay Area Maker Faire.
For more details, see Cuthbert, Robby.
Tensegrity Tables by Akke Functional Art
Axel Yberg of Akke Functional Art produces a variety of tensegrity tables.
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http://www.akkefunctionalart.com/potentialforcollapse/reversedowry_1.html
Tensegrity Coffee Table Series by Keonig
Richard Koenig markets the Suspend Coffee table. Its specifications are 16" to top of glass, glass top is 40" diameter x 3/4" thick, batons are 1" diameter solid aluminum alloy with a clear anodized finish, cable is 1/8" diameter. He also markets the Suspend Accent table - 17" high to top of glass, glass top 21" diameter x 1/2" thick, batons are 1/2" diameter solid aluminum alloy with a clear anodized finish, cable is 1/16" diameter.
http://www.koenigdesign.com/pages/coffee.html
http://www.koenigdesign.com/pages/accentv1.html
http://www.koenigdesign.com/pages/accent.html%7Chttp://www.koenigdesign.com/
William H. Guilford 3 Strut Table
The copper development association posted full instructions: see http://www.copper.org/consumers/copperhome/DIY/cu_tensegrity_table.html%7CCopper Tensegrity Table.
Tensegrity Tables by Flemons
Click here for more work by Flemons.
Camping Stove Table by WVHammockmaker
A tensegrity prism using four twelve foot poles and very strong cables contrcuted by WVHammockmaker to support his camping stove. [1]
Glass Table by Aiello
Sandro Aiello created a 100 x 100 x 30 cm table.
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http://www.sandroaiello.it/architect/project_tensegrity-tafel-ges1.php
Chairs
This section presents tensegrity structures that can function as chairs.
Levitating LEGO Tensegrity Chair
The LEGO Tensegrity structure can be adapted to create a chair. A popular example is shown in this video made by The Q, a YouTube channel that posts science videos.
Link to The Q's facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thisisTheQ
Armchair Model by Pars
Marcelo Pars published a 42 strut antiprism and proposed its use for an armchair.
Suspension Chair by Flemons
Click here for more work by Flemons.
Bamboo chair
João Victor Correia de Melo created an experimental Tensegrity Armchair from bamboo as part of a masters dissertation to studiy interactions between electronic models and mechanical models applied to the development of construction technology of lightweight utilitarian objects made of bamboo, clay, natural fibers and resins.
Design portfolio http://www.coroflot.com/jvictor23/Tensegrity-Armchair
Chair by Achkov
See more Achkov designs below, or here.
6 Strut Suspended Chair
Architecture students at ETS constructed a 6 strut chair constructed of metal struts and a knotted rope fabric seat.
Detailed article, see
Chair by Tectonius
This chair is an experiment in making a flexible folding chair, using a tensile structure. This product is intellectual property of Tectonicus Constructs llc, patent pending and anyone found illegally duplicating this will be found and prosecuted. The chair uses common materials, molded plywood, steel tube, and stainless steel cables. The combination of the steel cables, three legs, and plywood make for a chair that flexes as is it sat upon, thus adding a bit of comfort to the folding chair. The design is also fairly lightweight for ease of portability. Tectonius is seeking manufacturers, contact ben -at- tectonicus.com.
http://www.tectonicus.com/furniture-objects/tensegrity-chair
Snelson Stool by Weller
The stool is based on a 3 strut tensegrity antiprism.
For more details, see the page Snelson stool. Sam Weller website, http://www.samweller.co.uk/
FLOATING CHAIR by Manfred Kielnhofer
3 Strut Stool by Passi
Sushant Passi, Bangalore, India, posted on line a tensegrity stool he designed and developed for the Mathematics of Planet Earth Exhibition in Bangalore to interactively express the concept of Tension and its capabilities in forms, November 2013.
Detailed article: 3 Strut Stool by Passi https://www.behance.net/sushantpassi
12 Strut Chair by Rasmussen
For details, see 12 Strut Chair by Rasmussen
General
Tensegrity-based furniture by Tom Barber
Tom Barber creates tensegrity-based furniture using Gyfford wire and tension suspension systems, see [[1]]. His new website is [[2]], not much information there yet. He has posted many videos on YouTube, such as
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NXw5o0MR3s
- http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=36825920399891298#%7Chttp://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=36825920399891298#
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcHFSj0xUI4
Tensegrity Picture Frame by Wadhwani
Vishal Wadhwani (b. 1980) was trained at the Ahmedabad, India School of Interior Design, CEPT. He trained in steel and fabric structures at Kakani Associates before opening his own studio, "idea factor." Now head designer, he specilizes in tensile structures, and still has time for research into geodesic domes, tensegrity installations, origami/paper folding, and deployable systems. He also explores combinations of tensegrity & membrane structures to deploy kinetic/wind sculptures, and small kiosks & canopies.
His website, http://www.ideafactor.net/node/3%7Chttp://www.ideafactor.net/
http://www.ideafactor.net/project/tensegrity-frame
Tensegrity and Tensile Structured Furnishings by Konstantin
Konstantin Achkov uses tensegrity modules in some of his furniture designs. For more examples, see Konstantin Achkov.
Tensegrity Coat Rack by Alia Eissa
Alia Eissa used a 3 strut anti-prism as the basis for a coat hanger. The coat hanger was displayed as "Suspended Inbetween" at the annual GUC exhibit.
https://www.behance.net/AliaEissa
Links and References
[1] http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?p=229379%7Cwww.hammockforums.net forum post