WORKSTATION

The W_02 chair is about to be produced in a large range of colored ruber ink – This are the starting studies

WORKSTATION is Marco Sousa Santos latest Design project, now on show at EXD09 Lisbon.

Presented as a parallel event at bienial Experimenta Design 2009, here we provide some images of the models on display at Sociedade Nacional De Belas Artes, R. Barata Salgueiro,36 Lisbon

Please Note:
The only purpose of this blog is to be used as a communication tool regarding the WORKSTATION project.
All images and texts displayed in this pages are private and can only be downloaded, used or printed with the author approval.

We will be pleased so supply any hi res images if needed

For any information contact – marcoss@netcabo.pt

W Chairs are made of Wisa Birch Plywood.
The Wisa Birch plywood is composed by thin 1,4mm veneers and due to its softness and flexibility it is perfect to develop all scale models allowing accurate experiments in form and mechanic solutions.

The development of the first models where made exclusively by a domestic cnc cutting and assembled by myself at home.
This first 3D off scale models allowed me to observe, select solutions and go further with new models and into the first prototypes.
During this step of small scale modelling I could also try mechanical resistance and flexibility since material properties where alike the real scale flat plywood panels (just thinner).
I even thought I could do the prototypes myself because of the accurate finishing of digital cutting (that was one of the experimental process I wanted to try), doing all by myself! But results show me I was mistaken.
I needed an expert on wood…

The Wood chairs on display where assembled by Mr. Castro, a fine craftsman who have been working on wood since ever… In fact those chairs could only be well assembled because knowledge and human hand experience get involved.
Even when digital tooling is highly precise, wood assembling is a key factor to resistance and stability, and it can only be done by humans…

Mr. Castro entered the project as the “guy with the glue” and closed (this step of) the project as simply “the guy”!
Along the last 3 months working with him at the wood workshop I tried to redesign the details of assembling in the search of less human intervention (not to get rid of him but) in order to get lower production costs.
Now I know I can’t live without him if I want to proceed with this “Workstation”…

There was no commission of any kind and I simply had this unexplained need to get myself into a subject (and material) in all aspects related to the development of “such a trivial” design matter as; chairs…
I didn’t feel like going into plastic or any new fantastic material where experimentation could be itself the meaning for doing it.
I did choose the common and traditional materials with which thousands of chairs have been made since the last 100 years. Maybe that was the point? By avoiding new materials and facing the old ones the challenge could be more real and fulfilling.

Well… there was also a hidden and personal reason; I wanted to develop a project where I could spend time drawing, modelling and prototyping not being worried with a dead line and allowing myself a closer approach to materials and it’s nature.