Chichester High School: Chair Workshop

Mel working out the structural
design for her chair

The students collected wood from various objects: old chairs, tables, and other furniture. The goal was to create a chair that could support at least 250 lbs, be stable, and the seat had to be 8" off the ground.

The students spent 8 hours working on the chairs. They were taught about how certain shapes, like triangles, assist in stabilizing and supporting the structural needs of the chair.

As an extra challenge, the students were given specific instructions to either create a symmetrical, or A-Symmetrical design.

Figuring out how to add more support for the chair

Since this was a workshop, outside the normal curriculum, we had Jeff Johnson (or Dr. Wood as he is known in the class) come in and assist the students in their structural designs. This also allowed the students to work with power tools.

For many of these students this was their first opportunity in making 3-D objects (outside of clay), and a structure that is not only a sculptural piece, but also a practical seating piece.

I worked one on one assisting Mel in creating the below chair. We started out by making a rough 'sketch' of the chair, by assembling the chair with masking tape. Once we came up with two or three designs, we then chose the best design, and began to use the drill to assemble the chair.

Mel with her Chair

Group Shot!!