Student - Sophomore Studio
2017
Shift is a height-adjustable stool designed for metropolitan and minimalist spaces where every square foot counts. The project's core constraint: 95% of the stool's final makeup had to be Baltic birch plywood, manufactured via CNC router
My initial foamcore exploration was way too overcomplicated, burdened by unnecessary mechanisms, these stayed behind once I started working in wood
Development moved through two full wood iterations before landing on a final direction. The first wood model, built in hardware store plywood and aluminum, tested a basic sliding mechanism but revealed a point of weakness once loaded. The second model added steel and an extra slot to stabilize the sliding rods. Every prototype was built the same way: a laser-cut acrylic jig paired with a trim router, so each iteration stayed consistent even as the geometry changed. Refining the slot that allows upward travel ended up driving the entire shape of the stool, not just the mechanism inside it.
The initial third iteration was scrapped as it didn't feel like a cohesive piece of design
After four developmental changes, a 40-degree angle emerged as the best balance of strength and ease of movement, and I leaned into that same angle for the height-adjustment lead-in, turning a functional necessity into a deliberate directional cue across the piece. Delrin rods minimize friction in the sliding mechanism, rubber feet dampen vibration and level the stool on uneven surfaces, and the final design locks into four distinct height positions.
The final stool was brought to ICFF in NYC in 2019 for the Wentworth furniture showcase
Boston, MA