Boshun - Design Development

I've been updating my blog with how me and my friend, Saurabh are putting a collaborative effort towards designing our main project- Boshun, a single seater accent chair inspired by Kolkata, we proceed from our research and concept stage to finalizing the design of the chair and how it'd be made.

After our absolutely magical trip to Mumbai we came back to Ahmedabad with a refreshed approach and much more clarity. We started off with the following processes:

1. Finalizing the sketches

As a part of our design process. we created a alot of sketches based on various derivations from our research on Kolkata. Our theme was inspired from Rabindranath Tagore sitting on a relaxing chair, which led us to the concept of creating a chair on which one can have chai, read a book or just take a nap.

Rabindranath Tagore on the relaxing chair

Preliminary stage sketches

Preliminary stage sketches

2. Model making

Further, after deciding upon the sketches we started experimenting with the form and structure, making models to judge the stability. It helped us decide upon the joineries and how the fixing would be carried out.

Few of our models broke, as the joinery was not proper, that was not failure but more of a learning experience for us to come up with the right tenon mortise, lap joints, fixing details etc.

Boshun- the model in the workshop

3. Creating the Technical drawings and 3 D Model

Concept Sketch of Boshun

4. Selection of Material

The selection of material was to be done according to the wood available to us locally and that which is not vulnerable to moisture. We chose Steam Beech for our chair, the wood we ordered was safe for use and had minimum amount of cupping, warping or shakes.

Assessing the size of pieces to be ordered

5. Ordering the Material

Sizes of wooden sections:

• 25x60 mm section - 5'5" long- 2 pieces- 0.33 cft

• 20x60 mm section - 5'0" long - 1 piece-  0.2 cft

• 20x40 mm section- 5'0" long- 2 pieces-  0.4 cft

• 25x100 mm section- 3'3" long- 2 pieces- 0.325 cft

• 30x60 mm section- 5'0" long- 2 pieces- 0.5 cft

Size of Wood members

Till now it has been extremely fun and full of challenges, for me it' been the first time where I'm actually working with wood and designing a chair. It's such an eye opening experience, right from the research to all the upgiven stages! The actual process will start now where I'd be working in the workshop, giving life to what we designed.

So far so good, hoping for the best!