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| Title: |
Y Shift Chair |
| By: |
Louie |
| Description: |
Bold components give the Y Shift Chair a strong visual presence. The bent red oak segments have tight bends that contrast with the undulating visual softness of the clear plastic pieces that make up the seat and back. These clear pieces also have incredible strength, but still remain flexible and provide a mild spring action when a person sits. The aesthetic of the chair relies heavily on the strong visual vocabulary of the wood structure, while the physical comfort of the chair relies entirely on the contoured plastic of the seat and back. The two serve contrary purposes and the chosen materials are paradoxical, yet they come together confidently in a product that celebrates their differences.
This chair also serves as a transitional piece in the overall context of furniture and product design. In the midst of our ecological predicament, society and culture are slowly shifting toward a more sustainable future; the Y Shift Chair fully embraces the capabilities of both sustainable and unsustainable materials. Red oak is one of the most sustainable types of wood available because of its abundance, while the effects of plastic are harsher on the environment. The chair thereby establishes itself in the shift currently taking place, as a bridge between our unsustainable past and our sustainable future. |
| YouTube Video Link: |
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| Comments: |
24 |
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| By: formatwork @ Dec 01, 2008 |
Rather than have the design play a passive role in the dichotomy of the plastic and wood, could you use a plastic which is fully recycled? The plastic could have one more "go" at life before a million-year rest.
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| By: heater @ Dec 26, 2008 |
The chair looks amazing! I would buy it in a second!
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| By: designer @ Dec 27, 2008 |
Aesthetically this chair needs lots and lots and lots
more work.
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| By: FR @ Dec 28, 2008 |
I completely disagree. Refined and simple. Minimum amount of materials without sacrificing function or form. Well done!
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| By: lanileep @ Dec 28, 2008 |
seems sweaty.
and i agree with formatwork....why not use a plastic that is more evironmental?
not that good looking either.
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| By: Louie @ Dec 29, 2008 |
The plastic used in the chair is PETG (though if produced, various other plastics could be used). PETG is one of the most environmentally friendly substrates of the plastics family and is in fact, recyclable. Re-ground fibers are used in many different applications such as polyester fabrics, building and packaging materials, and garden furniture to name a few. Together with comparatively simple manufacturing processes, PETG has a significantly lower cradle to grave carbon footprint than most other plastics. Still though, plastic in general is bad for the environment. The quality of plastic degrades every time it is reheated, and therefore can only be recycled a limited number of times. When plastic is collected and remanufactured, it is only delaying its disposal. The final destination for all plastic is either a landfill, where it does not decompose, or an incinerator, where it will release harmful chemicals into the environment. I am not attempting to resolve the many problems associated with plastic usage, but rather simply addressing this fact through an investigation of materials from both ends of the ‘environmentally conscious’ spectrum, as well as to perhaps gain a better understanding of material capabilities and limitations.
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| By: formatwork @ Dec 29, 2008 |
I think PETG is a smart choice. It is useful when forming at low temperatures - won't degrade much when formed and forms easily. I vacuum-formed tons of it in school. And there are low VOC manufacturing options available. See Eco Resin.
My original comment was only in reaction to the project description where it is stated that the materials are made different by whether or not it is a sustainable material.
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| By: adidassoccer17 @ Dec 29, 2008 |
This chair looks like nothing i've ever seen before it is really innovative. I really like it, it's a job well done!
» Last edited by adidassoccer17 on Dec 29, 2008; edited 1 time in total
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| By: Fullertonb @ Dec 29, 2008 |
Legs= good form, actually great form... but very predictable.
Seat+Back= sorta scream 90's inflatable chair for teenage girls?
form is very under-defined
I am all for simplicity and clean looking forms, however this just seems like a 'stage' in the process. its ALL about the refined details....
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| By: iddesign @ Dec 30, 2008 |
teenage girls? hah, it's not pink; it's clear, and it's curvy, but that certainly doesn't equate 90's, inflatable, or teenage girls. I don't see the connection. But a visual relation to inflatable furniture, as in the 1967 ‘Blow Armchair’, certainly isn’t a bad thing. Actually, the lightness and airiness of the back and seat, despite their rigidity, is quite alluring. I'd say understated, not under defined.
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| By: dLeahn @ Dec 30, 2008 |
hmmm.... i don't find any attractiveness from this chair.... kind a sweaty looking...
» Last edited by dLeahn on Dec 30, 2008; edited 1 time in total
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| By: jreese @ Dec 30, 2008 |
I have never been a fan of clear plastic furniture. I question the material's ability to resist scratches, cracking and yellowing. do you have to take this chair apart to clean and/or polish it? overtime, does dirt become showcased between the wood and plastic?
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| By: heliosar @ Dec 30, 2008 |
Have all the young people in the world been wiped clean of all of their memory cells? This chair looks like every chair designed in Scandinavia between 1920 and 1936. Except that they had the sense not to use plastic. Designers should be leading the charge toward a self sustaining, non polluting, non global warming future. Plastic is bad for the earth and no lame argument about bridging the transition should be put forward by any young person that aspires to the title of designer.
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| By: benjamin.f @ Dec 30, 2008 |
http://ecodesign.lboro.ac.uk/index.php?section=160
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| By: Ray1 @ Dec 30, 2008 |
There is a nice minimalism here. And such little amount of materials used as well. That seems eco friendly to me, despite the material choice.
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