Wai chun Chu, Boolean (WORLD 2023)

Country:

United Kingdom

Video tour:

https://we.tl/t-eQU7sl3hL6

As a designer maker with an architectural background, I have always been interested in the transitional space between outside and inside space, and I find most modern houses or flats nowadays do not have a well-designed entrance space due to the limited space that we have. By using traditional solid wood joinery techniques with a sculptural appearance, creating a multi-functional piece of furniture that can accommodate daily life, from a letter/paper storage compartment to seating for a change of footwear, or a palm rest so that you can disconnect with technology temporarily, turning an empty hallway or entrance into a transitional space between the inside and the outside world. In the design of the piece, I took inspiration from the De Stijl art movement, where I showcase a dialog between the piece with the space that it sits in. As it seems like it has emerged from the wall or floor, flowing and shifting into surfaces and volumes that provide purpose and functions. By playing with volumes and geometries, I want to create an illusion that as it is also in transition between stages of its life, co-living with the user's daily life. The brief was to create a piece of furniture that has an architectural influence on the space it sits in, while providing essential functions to our day-to-day activities. By designating and gathering these activities together in a piece of furniture, you can slowly create a habit or way of living around it, and these routines that you create will act as a subconscious gateway, telling your mind and body to relax and leave the work and keys on the table when you get home, or subsequently putting your work boots on and get ready for the wet weather outside. And to me a successful piece of furniture should have an influence on the user and improves their lifestyle, not only serving a physical function but also raising mental awareness. I have set myself a challenge by creating this piece with solid wood construction, each component is well considered with timber movement in mind, carefully calculated with the construction and position of the drawer and seat to achieve a visual balance and structurally stable piece of furniture. As I want it to look as if it is an extension of the surrounding architecture, the design is very much geometrically driven, there is a fine balance of scale and weightiness relationship between each component of the chair. I've decided it is best to showcase the natural beauty of oak, other traditional techniques like inlay or carving will only bring distraction to the overall balance of the piece. Therefore, it is fumed, and oil finishes to highlight the signature "rays" of this beautiful board of oak, with all the joinery and finishing aimed at the highest standard.

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