Miriam Gibson

Alexandria

Virginia

22315

Inspired by patchwork, the key concept in my Interior Design thesis project, Activate RVA: Richmond’s hub for community engagement & social activism, I designed and constructed a set of plywood flat pack stools meant to engage the community members visiting the center with their surroundings and other peers. When hung on the wall, the set mimics a quilt pattern grid, and when put together, creates visually dynamic seating. The set consists of 48 identical pieces that - using a process completely new to me- were designed in Revit, exported as vector lines, and cut out from 3/4” plywood with a CNC, utilizing precisely placed notches, holes, and pegs to allow them to be put together to make the 12 4-piece stools. Although each piece shares the same form, they’re all decorated differently with various sizes of triangles hand-cut from recycled samples of wall-covering vinyl donated by KSA Interiors. One side of each piece is covered in neutral colors, while the other side of each is covered in vibrant colors, so that when they’re combined to be seating or hung on the wall to be stored and displayed, their users can create practically infinite unique combinations of patterns. The result is vibrant wall art and furniture that engages its users and shifts as frequently as the programs hosted in Activate RVA. Beyond their place in my senior thesis, I imagine variations of this seating set being used in schools and universities, daycares, and small scale residences, made in different sustainable materials, and available in different sizes.

I am the designer and builder of this object