Madeira Macia

In collaboration with the government of Portugal and the RISD Industrial Design Department, this project explores the materials properties of compressed granular cork produced in Portugal in conjunction with locally grown American softwoods (western red cedar), which I laminated into a strong, lightweight, and water resistant material.

This chair was designed to highlight the exceptional strength to weight ratio, and high grade of directional flexibility inherent to this composite material, creating a strong yet flexible building material, which can be laminated in 2 and even 3 dimensional curves with great ease, a feat that traditional plywood laminates continue to struggle with.

Modeled by Daniel Cha.