Project Overview
Inspired by two elements from a japanese rock garden, I designed and created this outdoor stool with simplicity and sustainability as key objectives.
The strong, open, triangulated base uses salvaged Tas. Oak dowel and is fastened using pinned and threaded joinery - no glue is required to flat-pack assemble or disassemble.
The cast 'stone' seat incorporates recycled rubber crumb for texture and toughness - its solidity and roughness contrasting with the crisp, 'airiness' of the base.
Tension between the elements creates maximum visual impact for minimal environmental footprint.
Ideal for a back patio or garden setting, the seats are available in custom red, blue, grey and white colours, with or without rubber.
Matching bar stool, side table and coffee table are also available on request.
Organisation
Team
Ash Allen - Creative director
Project Brief
RMIT's brief was to design and make a seat with a curved component and using a culture as a reference point.
Inspired by the pure tranquility and fundamentalism of Japanese rock gardens, I decided to incorporate two elements - a smooth 'skipping' stone and spiky bamboo - into the piece.
Furthermore, I wanted to add to the brief:
1. Use sustainable and/or recycled materials where possible.
2. To be able to flat-pack assemble the seat, with no tools or glue required - making it suitable for export and minimising its eco-footprint
3. Be respectful to beautiful Japanese timber joinery techniques, yet simple and effective enough that I can repeat in my workshop for production.
Harking back to the 'Stone Age', this primitive yet contemporary stool not only meets the brief but is a stand out addition to any outdoor or backyard setting.
Project Innovation / Need
The novelty of the 'Sticks & Stone' stool is that:
1. It is a visually stunning outdoor seat that can be assembled by hand from a flat-pack, with no glue or tools required.
2. It is Melbourne designed and made from sustainable and recycled materials
3. It is available in custom white, blue, grey and red colours, with or without rubber texture.
3. A matching side table, coffee table and bar stool are also available in the 'Sticks & Ston'" range.
Design Challenge
With the trend in Australia towards more outdoor living/seating areas, a ready market for was identified for the outdoor stool.
The key design challenge was create an integrally strong outdoor seat with timber elements, which required no glue or tools for assembly.
The seat material also posed a challenge and required much experimentation. Concrete - too brittle, unhealthy and long-setting - was not a realistic option. The final mix, still suitable for outdoors, is much more eco-friendly. By incorporating recycled rubber tyre crumb, this adds to the texture and is much tougher than concrete. It also sets within half an hour, lending itself to batch production, and the white base allows for brighter, custom colours to be made.
Sustainability
The 'Sticks & Stone' stool has been designed with sustainability in mind on five levels:
1. The timber base is made from salvaged Tasmanian Oak dowel offcuts from Resource Rescue Inc - a local Melbourne company which collects interesting waste products from manufacturers in Melbourne (= less needless landfill)
2. The construction of the timber base uses no glue and needs no tools to assemble. Threaded and pinned ends hold the strong, triangulated frame in tension.
3. The piece 'flat-packs' - minimising its transport footprint, and the simple disassembly process lends itself to end-of-life recycling.
4. The seat incorporates locally-sourced, recycled car tyre rubber crumb, not only adding to its properties with its texture and toughness, but also reducing the number of car tyres in landfill.
5. A classic design, made with heirloom quality joinery, means the lifespan of the piece is maximised.
Product Design - Furniture
This award recognises a component or overall product. Consideration given to aspects that relate to human usage, aesthetics, selection of components and materials, and the resolution of assembly, manufacturing and the overall function.
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