The PKL is a minimalist lounge chair designed to fit into a modern home. The PKL takes inspiration from Eames and other designers to create a truly unique and ergonomic design.
The PKL is a minimalist lounge chair designed to fit into a modern home. The PKL takes inspiration from Eames and other designers to create a truly unique and ergonomic design.
To start the project, I researched different chairs to gather a baseline for ergonomics and aesthetic design. I sat, as well as observed others sit, in a multitude of chairs to understand how different aspects of the chair interacted with the position of the legs, back, etc. With this information I built my own ergonomic model, using test subjects of different heights to verify if it was comfortable. With a finalized ergonomic model, I used it as an underlay to create a variety of concept sketches and models to explore various designs.
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First Concept
The first design features a wide base with a lip on either end complemented by a low back, and legs made of metal tubing. After making a full-scale test model, the chair was much smaller than anticipated. Moreover, people who sat in it complained the back was in an uncomfortable position, sitting too low. I went back to the ergonomic model and experimented with a higher back. I also looked into a dual purpose for the large, curved seat, turning it into a place to lie down. However, after testing that idea as well, I determined it was too short to function this way, and did not what to change the overall design to accommodate for this extra feature.
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Final Concept
The redesign focused most changes on the position of the back rest, which was not higher to accommodate for the first design's uncomfortable positioning. Due to the seat back change, the rear supporting tubes were changed, but only cosmetically. The seat was also changed cosmetically, widening the overall shape and removing the lip to accentuate the curve.
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Construction
The seat and back of the chair was made of kerf-cut plywood molded with epoxy and covers in a clear coat finish. The legs and back support where made with 1" steel tubing bent into shape and attached to the seat and back with a 3D printed spacer. Finally, wood feet and end caps were added to the chair to serves as a accent to the wood and clean up the ends of the tubing.