Friendship
In 2013 I designed and built an isolation chair called Friendship which was displayed at the ICFF in 2014. While the reception was positive,
I noticed several issues with user experience and practicality that made me want to have a go at a redesign. The following observations are based on my experiences with the chair, as well as feedback received from others.
The Good and Bad of the Original Design
Aesthetics
The ringed structure of the sphere looks serene from the front, but the thick walls, crooked legs, and overall height give the exterior an intimidating look.
Interior Experience
The interior dimensions and full upholstery were received positively by those who tried the chair. Several people described being inside as "an experience".
Construction
The body of the chair is impossible to disassemble, and with a diameter of 4 feet, wider than most doorways,
Practicality
The legs are intended to raise the chair to the point nobody is able to see inside. Not only is this ineffective, it's unnecessary and incredibly impractical.
Under construction
At the ICFF
Upholstered interior
Using platonic solids as a base for modularity
Early designs had custom hardware to allow for tool free assembly
Later designs had more traditional hardware concealed by plastic caps
Cloth strap hinge
Rope hinge
Window module with attached shade
Tent style curtain
Rope
Curtain
Modular fiberglass body panels
Concealed Hardware
Fully upholstered interior
Window module with attached shade
Rope Curtain
A New Configuration
I had scraps from another full scale model of Friendship I built as a first draft, so I refurbished them into something usable and put it in our ID studio. It was rough and ugly, but a very popular seat among the students.
It's a significantly more practical configuration and it's what I used as the basis for my redesign.
Development
Finalization
Details and Interior
Modular Construction
Friendship's new design is a dodecahedral sphere made up of 12 pentagonal modules.
The exterior flanges fasten together with countersunk barrel nuts and bolts concealed by plastic caps, giving the exterior a clean look.
When broken down Friendship can be packed into a 33"✕33"✕33" box, making shipping and moving it a breeze.
The whole chair can be assembled with two standard 5mm socket wrenches.
Order Customization
Order Customization
Modularity also allows for some light customization. The window modules can be placed anywhere on the top half of the chair and entry modules can be placed anywhere on the bottom half. Just order the modules for the configuration you want. 0 windows? 6 windows? 2 entrances?
No entrance? It's all possible.
