Kelly Lee:  This is a project from David Mocarski's class. The assignment was designing furniture for a student lounge for Art Center that we are going to build in April.  It was up to us whether we were going to design a chair, couch, desk or anything like that.

V5:  And you chose?

KL: A stacking chair.

V5: Which would be used in what type of settings?

KL: It would be used for student conferences and little meetings. You would be able to take notes since there is a desk in the back. Since it is stackable, you can pile it and put it away in a small space.

V5: What was the process you used for the project?

KL: First I had to design it and then make a jig to bend the plywood so I could have the curve. Then I glued the bendable plywood together and put it into a vacuum bag for one full day. 

V5: That gave you the plywood in the construction you were using.  What was the next step?

KL: I had to cut into the shape first then put on the veneer.  In designing the chair's legs I had to go to the welders so they could bend it and weld it for me.

V5: How did you work with the welders? Did you show them drawings or models?

KL: I had to give them the full drawings, all the angles and radius, so they could make a template to have a perfect radius and angle to match mine. I also had to go there a couple of times to check the work. They really did not understand my design and some of the parts you have to be very careful about. Sometimes I had to fix little things and did not get what I expected. It is really hard to work with them because I am a student and do not have lots of money or lots of things for them to do.

V5: The chair design was done within what time period?

KL:  Fourteen weeks.

V5: So you went from a written assignment to developing drawings, models and then a working prototype in a fourteen-week period. Did you use other outside fabricators besides the metal work we see in the chair?

KL:  No.  I did all the woodwork myself at the Art Center shop. It is a very good shop! 

V5:  And that worked out okay?

KL:  Yes, I mean it was my first time, but then I cut those patterns for the jig in a CNC machine so every pair was the same size, so it is not so hard to put them together even though it was very heavy. 

V5: Had you worked with the CNC machines before?

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