ffirs.indd i 12/09/12 10:03 PM Furniture Design
ffirs.indd i 12/09/12 10:03 PM FigureTI-1 Danish Institute for Study Abroad Furniture Design workshop. Drawing and sketching at full scale. Photography: courtesy Erik Skoven, DIS.
ffirs.indd ii 12/09/12 10:03 PM Furniture Design Second Edition
Jim Postell
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
ffirs.indd iii 12/09/12 10:03 PM Cover images: Left: reproduced by permission of Right: reproduced by permission of Integrated Design Construction Strategies Environmental Solutions (IES)
Cover design: Anne Michele Abbott
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Postell, James Christopher, 1958- Furniture design / Jim Postell. — Second edition. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-118-09078-7 (cloth); 978-1-118-35170-3 (ebk.); 978-1-118-35171-0 (ebk.); 978-1-118-35315-8 (ebk.); 978-1-118-35316-5 (ebk.); 978-1-118-35318-9 (ebk.) 1. Furniture design. I. Title. NK2260.P67 2012 749—dc23 2012002907 978-1-118-09078-7
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ffirs.indd iv 12/09/12 10:03 PM Contents
Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Foreword xix Foreword to the First Edition xxi
chapter 1 Introduction to Furniture Design 1 Furniture 2 Design 8 Furniture Design (X) Furniture Design 10 Data Visualization: Mapping Data from Research 12
chapter 2 Function and Social Use 19 Human Body Supports 20 Sitting, Working, Resting, and Sleeping 20 Squatting and Sitting 23 Activities: Eating, Reading, Typing, and Writing 25 Containing: Storing, Displaying, and Organizing 27 Defi ning Space: Enclosing, Shaping, and Partitioning 28 Classifi cations Based on Social Use 29 Health-care Furniture: For Those Who Need Assistance 30 Hospitality Furniture: Restaurants, Lobbies, and Reception Areas 32 Institutional Furniture: Education 34 Multifunctional Furniture: Sit-Work, Sit-Sleep, and Store-Display 35 Offi ce Furniture: Ergonomic Seating, Workstations, and Systems Furniture 37 Recreational Furniture: Play, Leisure, and Outdoor Furnishings 38
v
ftoc.indd v 10/09/12 11:20 PM Religious (Liturgical) Furniture: Altars, Arks, and Minbars 40 Residential Furniture: Social Gathering, Resting, Dining, and Organizing 43 Retail Furniture: Displaying, Storing, Transactions, and Sales 46 Storage Furniture: Containing, Organizing, and Accessing 47
chapter 3 Form, Spatial Organization, and Typological Orders 51 Form 51 Angular 56 Composite 56 Curvilinear 57 Orthogonal 58 Sectional/Modular 58 Spatial Organization 60 Centralized 61 Clustered 62 Grids 63 Linear 64 Radial 65 Typological Orders 66 Assembly Required (Ready-to-Assemble and Knock-Down) 66 Built-In/Stationary 67 Freestanding 67 Infl atable 68 Mechanical (Transformative Pieces) 69 Movable 72 Summary 74
chapter 4 Furniture Case Studies 75 Overview of Furniture Case Studies 75 700–400 BCE Greek Klismos chair 76 1200–1800 CE European coffer 78 1745–1750 French Rococo commode 80 1754–1780 Chippendale chair 82 1855–1859 Café chair, Model No. 14 84 1917–1918 Red-Blue chair 86
vi Contents
ftoc.indd vi 10/09/12 11:20 PM 1922 Blocs Screen 88 1925 Wassily club chair, Model No. B301 90 1928 Siège à Dossier Basculant (B301) 92 1932–1933 Stools 60/65 94 1949–1950 Eames Storage Unit (ESU) 96 1950–1954 Antony chair 98 1951 Wire side chair 100 1968 Action Offi ce 102 1987 Ghost chair 104 1992 Cross Check armchair 106 1993 Trinidad chair 108 1994 Living units 110 1994–1995 Aeron chair 112 1999 The Block 114 2000 Pathways 116 2003–2004 Jimmy’s Buffet 118 2004 Knit chair 120 2006 Araneae coffee table 122 2011 Modular Vitrine System 124 Lessons from the 25 Furniture Case Studies 126
chapter 5 Furniture Design Theory 129 Inquiry 129 Systems Theory 131 Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas 133 Firmitas 133 Utilitas 137 Anthropometrics 139 General Body Characteristics and Dimensions 141 Ergonomics 142 Posture 145 Proxemics 147 Venustas 150 Beauty 150 Geometry 152 Proportion 152
Contents vii
ftoc.indd vii 10/09/12 11:20 PM Modernism 154 Built Form and Culture 155 New Formalism: Theories of Digital Form 158
chapter 6 Design 161 Design Principles 163 Balance: Structural and Visual, Symmetry and Asymmetry 163 Continuity, Unity, and Variety 165 Dynamism and Stasis 165 Hierarchy and Emphasis 165 Juxtaposition 167 Rhythm and Pattern 167 Scale and Proportion 168 Design Thinking 171 Construing and Constructing 172 Bold Studies 172 Making Prototypes 174 Scaled Models 175 Design Ethos 177 Accessible Design 177 Codes, Guidelines, and Standards (Health, Safety, and Welfare) 177 Green Design 178 Universal Design 181 Design Processes 182 Schematics: Sketching, Drawing, Computer Rendering, and Model Making 182 Design Phases 190 Predesign, Research, and Programming 190 Schematic Design 192 Design Development 192 Fabrication Drawings 193 Pricing and Contract Negotiation 194 Shop Drawings, Templates, and Working Prototypes 195 Fabrication 195 Delivery and Installation 196 Professional and Disciplinary Boundaries 197
viii Contents
ftoc.indd viii 10/09/12 11:20 PM chapter 7 Materials 203 Material Matters 205 Material Properties 210 Absorptive Quality 211 Aging and Weathering 212 Cellular Structure (Open-Cell or Closed-Cell) 212 Compressive and Tensile Strength 213 Density 214 Dimensional Movement 214 Ductility 216 Durability 217 Elasticity 217 Expandability 217 Haptic Sensations 218 Stability 219 Surface Qualities 220 Visual Aspects of Finished Wood Surfaces 220 Visual Aspects of Unfi nished Wood Surfaces 221 Volatile Organic Compounds 221 Workability 222 Other Aspects 223 Materials: A to Z 224 Adhesives and Glues 224 Composite Boards 226 Fabrics and Leather 229 Finishes 232 Glass 235 Metal 237 Paper 240 Plastics 240 Rubber and Elastomers 245 Stone 247 Woods and Grasses 248
Contents ix
ftoc.indd ix 10/09/12 11:20 PM chapter 8 Processes and Methods of Fabrication 255 Preparing Shop Drawings and a Materials Takeoff List 256 Securing Materials, Equipment, Supplies, and Hardware 257 Bending 260 Carving 262 Cutting, Drilling, Milling, and Planing 263 Assembling and Gluing 264 Joinery, Mechanical Connections, and Fasteners 265 Upholstery 275 Sanding 277 Finishing, Painting, Sealing, Staining, and Surfacing 278 Wood Finishing 278 Delivery and Installation 280 Repairing, Restoring, and Resurfacing 281 A Chronological Overview of Tools 281 Hand Tools 281 Machine Tools 282 Hand Tools Used Today 282 Power Tools Used Today 283 Digital Tools 285 Technology: The Art and Science of Fabrication 287 Craft (Workmanship of Risk) 288 Machine Production (Workmanship of Certainty) 289
chapter 9 Professional Practice and Marketing 291 Industry 294 Green Marketing 295 Retail and Wholesale 296 Design for Less 298 Alternative Retail 298 Industrial Entrepreneurs: Silent Heroes 300
x Contents
ftoc.indd x 10/09/12 11:20 PM Furniture Epicenters 301 Paris 301 Northern Italy 301 Scandinavia 302 Other Epicenters 304 The Business of Furniture Design 304
chapter 10 Historical Overview 307 How Societies Have Thought about Designing, Making, and Using Furniture 307 The Earliest Cultures 309 Ancient Nomadic Societies 309 Prehistoric World Settlements 309 Prehistory to Antiquity 310 Ancient Egypt 310 Archaic and Classical Greece 313 Etruria 315 The Romans 315 Early Christian and Islamic Cultures 316 Emergence of Islamic Furniture (circa 610) 317 Medieval Societies 319 The Rise of Europe 321 The Renaissance 321 Baroque Period 327 French Rococo Period 329 England in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 331 The American Colonies and the Emerging United States 333 The Classical Style 336 The Industrial Revolution 337 Eclecticism 339 Revivals 339 Craft and Design 341 Arts and Crafts in Europe 342 Arts and Crafts in the United States 343 Art Nouveau 345
Contents xi
ftoc.indd xi 10/09/12 11:20 PM Modernism and the Machine Age 346 The Bauhaus 348 Rising Heroes of Evolving Modernism 350 Craft versus Design 356 New Craftsmanship 356 The Twenty-First Century: The Digital Age 358 New Digital Tools, New Synthetic Materials, New Design Opportunities 359
Appendix: References and Sources 361 Industry Sources 362 Museums, Galleries, and Exhibitions 365 Glossary 367 Bibliography 381 Index 385
xii Contents
ftoc.indd xii 10/09/12 11:20 PM Preface
ALVAR AALTO (1898–1976), Charles Rennie Mackintosh (1868–1928), and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959) were architects who integrated custom furnishings into their buildings and interior spaces (Figure P-1). Interior designers such as Eileen Gray (1878–1976), Yoshiharu Hatano (b. 1946), Eva Maddox (b. 1944) and Andrée Putnam (b. 1925) are renowned for their skill in blending textures and furnishings with interior space. Henry Dreyfuss (1904–1972) and Bill Stumpf (1936–2006) were industrial designers who utilized industrial manufacturing processes in their furniture designs. Woodworkers and artisans such as Wendell Castle (b. 1932), Sam Maloof (1916–2009), George Nakashima (1905–1990), and Pierluigi Ghianda (b. 1926) worked throughout their lives to create furniture with remarkable handcraft and fi nish (Figure P-2). Charles (1907–1978) and Ray (1912–1988) Eames, Poul Kjærholm (1929–1980), Pierre Paulin (1927–2009), Charlotte Perriand (1903–1999), Gatano Pesce (b. 1939), and Hans J. Wegner (1914–2007) developed professional careers designing furniture. Regardless of their academic background or professional affi liation, these individuals are renowned for innovative furniture designs (Figure P-3). Consider the viewpoints brought to furniture design by these individuals and the unique disciplinary qualities within the fi elds of art, architecture, interior design, and industrial design. There are pronounced differences in the way architects and interior designers create a sense of place by designing, selecting, and locating furniture; in the way industrial designers seek to resolve industrial fabrication processes and integrate utility, human factors, and ergonomics in design; and in the way that artists are trained in their craft. Many individuals and disci- plines to contribute to the body of knowledge of furniture design.
Figure P-1 Experiments with bent and laminated wood—furniture components for the Paimio Sanatorium and the library in Viipuri, Finland. Designed by Alvar Aalto. Photography by Jim Postell, 2006.
xiii
fpref.indd xiii 12/09/12 10:04 PM Figure P-2 Three-seat settee, designed and fabricated by Wendell Castle (1968). Stacked-laminated, carved cherry wood. Photography by Jim Postell, 2011.
Think about the infl uence that material properties, use, applied forces, the surrounding environment, and ergonomics have on furniture design. Refl ect upon the historical, cultural, political, and societal conditions revealed in the way people sit, rest, work, and play, or the human factors research and anthropometric data on which furniture designers rely. Many factors should be considered when designing furniture. Most are situated within personal, cultural, disciplinary, and professional frames of reference. This second-edition textbook is written to serve students and fur- niture designers as a comprehensive survey and resource to give a deeper understanding and provide knowledge and inspiration for designing and making furniture. It has been rewritten to deliver a more extensive overview of furniture design through further docu- mentation and analysis, with focus upon the stories and design intentions behind the furniture examples presented in this book. There are broader examples of furniture presented throughout the book, in-depth material specifi cations, and updated material cover- ing digital design and fabrication technologies. The primary intention of this book is to articulate how ideas, use, design process, materials, and fabrication methods contribute to furniture design. This was a central theme in the fi rst edition. This edition attempts to be more effective in achieving that goal. Revisions have been made to each of the 10 chapters, which include: