Tab Chair

Using only one 4’ x 8’ sheet of birch plywood for material, the Tab Chair is as much an exploration in tectonic and assembly as it is a piece of furniture. The design is grown out of two systems: a series of long, filleted pieces that aggregate into the overall form of the seat and back, and a series of small tabs that slot into the aggregates, holding each to the next. Each ’slat’ must be connected to its neighbors via the tabbing system at least twice to keep the chair together: herein lies the marriage of pattern and structure.

The fabrication process utilized a CNC router to cut the individual pieces. No hardware or metal fasteners are required to assemble the chair; the tabbing system and wood glue are the only tectonic at play. The chair features a peeled-back shelf underneath the seat for storage, as well as the subtle arcing of both the seat and the chair back for user comfort.

Instructor Jared Ramsdell. Academic, 2014.

The Tab Chair was featured in public exhibition ’Soft Fab’ at the Boston Society of Architects.

(1) front and back (2) assembly, use, and pattern

(1) milling (2) cut (3) pieces

(1) seat detail (2) leg detail (3) friends

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Inside-Out Lamp

Designed for the dining room setting, the Inside-Out Lamp takes the traditional interior ring of radial-slatted tectonic and extrapolates it into a multi-purpose exterior patterning. The tabbing pattern acts primarily as a structural system, spacing each slat and holding each piece to its neighbours. Beyond, the tabbing adds visual depth to the aesthetic of the lamp and provides a platform to scatter light across the environment.

The design challenge here was to create a visually appealing pattern that performed structurally, but did not overwhelm the design of the lamp. The piece is intended to cast a soft, scattered glow alone or in a series in a dining setting. Designed parametrically, each feature of the lamp is dynamic and editable to allow for rapid prototyping and, thus, light quality testing.

Instructor Jared Ramsdell. Academic, 2014.

The Inside-Out Lamp was featured in public exhibition ’Soft Fab’ at the Boston Society of Architects.

(1) isometric (2) elevation (3) with a friend (4) shadows

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