×
Trio: Furniture for Musicians
Independent Study Advisor: Ken Tracy
Throughout history, chair design has been the subject of an intensive study into form and function. Chairs have an immediate effect on their surroundings as they occupy space at the human scale. They take on different roles and satisfy specific personal needs such as comfort or efficiency. The purpose of Trio is to explore the possibilities of a high-performance chair for musicians that will:
- Improve playing technique and posture
- make use of a cost-effective and efficient production process
- Create a new standard of equipment for musicians
The chair is made of laminated birch plywood and 3 1/2” solid steel bars, allowing it to be both sturdy and lightweight. The seat and backrest are CNC-milled in order to achieve the proper curves necessary for a correct sitting posture. Two 4’ steel bars are bent and welded to a plate to create the legs and base of the seat, and a final 4’ steel bar is bent to attach the back. Formally, Trio is inspired by the curves of a guitar and violin. The two hollowed out shapes on the back of the seat not only mimic the “f-holes” of a violin, but they also serve a functional purpose as well, providing a space for the steel bar to sit in when the chair is stacked. This allows the chair to be stacked vertically without any forward offset so that the chair can theoretically be stacked infinitely high without taking up more space than its original footprint.