A Modern Issue
With a Time Tested Solution
(Marcel Bruer and his works pictured above)Consumers are facing tough purchasing decisions being forced to pick between affordability and good design. Marcel Bruer’s work focusing on bent tubular steel combines affordability with Bauhaus fundamentals which offered me a platform to use when addressing modern consumer needs.
Developing my Idea
(ideation done in VR using gravity sketch)
Bends stay within the minimum bend radius
The long bent main frame section calls back to the inspiration
Tubular steel allows the design to be lightweight and easy to pick up
Low cost
Materials
Tubular steel has historically been a cheap material to make and work with, that is why it was the Ideal choice for Marcel Breuer in 1928. While the Historical example I have taken inspiration from uses real leather, in the spirit of cost effectives vinyl leather provides equivalent material properties while still maintaining reverence to the original design.
Bringing this Idea to Reality
Tube Bending Rig
Finished prep work
Birds mouth contours for clean joinery
Main frame
Cleaning up messy welds
Perfect weld
Joinery detail
Tac weld
Inner foam for seat cushion
Marked out my bends
Cushion Construction
Final seat construction
