The Design and Initial Ideas
These were some guidelines that I used to help me choose my final idea. I found them really useful as they helped me to stick to the requirements of the breif and also really think about my product.
Things to consider -
• Is the preferred type the best for the church building?
• How long will this design last?
• How easy is this type to move around?
• Where will they store additional chairs of this type?
• How well does this type fit in with the appearance of the church building?
• Will it be comfortable?
• Will the preferred options meet health and safety considerations?
The next few sketches show some of my Initial Ideas.
These two sketches above show two early initial ideas. The concept on the left demonstrates a wood bench where four or more chairs fold into one. This could be made out of wood and hinges would allow the chair to fold into place. I liked the idea of the chair opening out as a bench because in many churches they have pews so I felt that this idea encompassed the more tradiotnal seating arrangements seen in churches.
The second idea is a chair that you would be able to roll to fold away. This would need to be designed really carefully I think so that it can support the weight. I know that this module focuses on smart and modern materials so if I decide to take this idea forward then I will look at materials that will be suitable for this concept.
The second idea is a chair that you would be able to roll to fold away. This would need to be designed really carefully I think so that it can support the weight. I know that this module focuses on smart and modern materials so if I decide to take this idea forward then I will look at materials that will be suitable for this concept.
These sketches above show concepts where the back support of the chair slides down slightly and folds over. They all function in the same however I wanted to play around with where I could put the crucifix.
The idea below is a very similar concept however the back part of the chair fully folds down meaning so that it can almost be used as a table as well. The legs also could fold down which could mean that they are stacked like boxes which would be ideal for saving space in the church.
The idea below is a very similar concept however the back part of the chair fully folds down meaning so that it can almost be used as a table as well. The legs also could fold down which could mean that they are stacked like boxes which would be ideal for saving space in the church.
I really liked the idea above so I thought it would be a really good idea to start modelling it. Here are some images of the model that I created out of Bulsa wood.
I thought it would be also a good idea to create a little space for bibles and other church literature to be placed and stored away. There is still a lot more to do with this design but it is working progress and was good to see a sketch turn into a 3D model because it gives it a completely different feel.
The only problem that I found with the concept above is that it did not stack!! Therefore I have gone back to the drawing board and started to model some further initial ideas to see if I was able to create something that was collapsible so that it could be stored away easily.
These are some examples below of some other initial ideas that I had created following my modelling exercise.
The idea here is that they would work on hinges or joints so that they can fix together. The only problem that I would need to consider is things like weight and whether or not it will be practical enough for the church brief. Having to collapse lots of chairs is quite time consuming especially if you do it on a regular basis.
The only problem that I found with the concept above is that it did not stack!! Therefore I have gone back to the drawing board and started to model some further initial ideas to see if I was able to create something that was collapsible so that it could be stored away easily.
These are some examples below of some other initial ideas that I had created following my modelling exercise.
The idea here is that they would work on hinges or joints so that they can fix together. The only problem that I would need to consider is things like weight and whether or not it will be practical enough for the church brief. Having to collapse lots of chairs is quite time consuming especially if you do it on a regular basis.
Although the models above were good concepts for my initial idea stage I felt that the design that I modeled had more potential. Therefore, I went back to modelling and sketching to try and work out a way in which they could stack.
Here are some images that show this.
These are some examples of me modelling the piece using CAD/CAM technology. I found this really useful as it transformed my designs but made me realise that the idea would not work so I needed to go back again and think about a way for it to stack.
These show the working drawings of the model that I created using 2D Design.
The next few sketches show my final idea. I have been able to get to this stage through sketches and modelling my ideas and am now at the point where I am happy with the concept I have in place.
This final idea uses the same concept that I purposed earlier on regarding the back of the chair folding down. This time though the chair can fold down and stack which means that it fits the breif.