100% Design Tokyo - Seminar Space Floor Plan

Here I have begun to look at the space in which I am designing my chair for. I have worked out the approximate area in which I have to work with. The plan demonstrates the amount of chairs I can fit into this space. The dimensions of the chairs are based on the dimensions of mock-ups I have begun to work with. I have allowed 1m walkways in between the chairs. This is a fair amount of space for a walk way so this could later be reduced in aiming to fit more chairs into this space, once my chair design has been further developed.

My Event & My Brief

Major Project - Concept 3

Major Project - Concept 2

Major Project - Concept 1

Japanese Floor Chairs

Japanese Floor Seating:

Japan has retained the custom of ‘Floor Seating’. The idea behind floor seating meant that there was no need to develop raised furniture for seating and reclining. When you are sitting on the floor, everything remains low and is therefore reachable from a sitting position on the floor. There is no need for people to stand on any of the furniture in Japan as it is all low to the ground. When people are seated on the floor, they will always see things from a ‘fixed’ perspective and it has been said that consideration to detail of furniture for example is only taken into account on the front of furniture pieces as this is all that would be seen from this level. The sides and back of a furniture piece, design is not important aesthetically.
This concept was generated from the Architectural idea of ‘From the Floor Up’. This theory is also known as ‘Shitsurai’.

The average height of a Japanese male is: 171.5cm (5’7.5’’)
The average height for a Japanese female is: 158cm (5’2.2’’)

The average height from the floor for a dining table chair is considered to be 420mm. When researching Japanese people and furniture, I found in the above extract that the preferred height of a dining chair for Japanese women is 368.3mm.

Reference: "Traditional Japanese Furniture" - Kazuko Koizumi, Alfred.T Birnbaum

Japanese Chair Research

100% Design Tokyo

100% Design Tokyo

I have decided to design my chair for the 100% Design Tokyo event. This event was established in London in 1995. It has become one of the world’s most influential contemporary interiors event. This design event is dedicated particularly to the latest and most innovative contemporary interior products. This event began in Tokyo in 2005 and is now considered to be one of Japans premier contemporary interiors event.

The scope of design that is shown at this event are:
manufactures
designers
wholesalers
distributors of modern contemporary furniture
lighting
kitchen
bathroom
fabrics & textiles
interior accessories
wall & floor coverings
handles & fittings
architectural products and
accessories & materials.

All the entries to this event are reviewed and assessed by a panel. This panel is made up of
leading architects
designers
retailers and
industry experts.

When entering a product into this event, if the designer/company have not entered a product within the last three years at ethier the Tokyo or the London event, it has to first go through an assessment. The entries are assessed on the originality and uniqueness of the design and the concept of the product. If it passes through this process, it can then be entered into the event.

I have chosen this event that my furniture piece is going to be designed for, because when researching the three events, I noticed that this event in particular focuses on Interior design. As this is the subject that I am studying at uni, I found it appropriate to use this event as the basis for my furniture piece and conceptual inspiration.

Major Project - Concept Sketches

Major Project - Concept Inspiration Research

Reference Website - 'Foldschool'

Cube - Folding Systems

Esquisse 3 - Variation 3 (re-worked)