The duality of public and private spaces

I wanted to design an object that created an illusion of privacy without personal exclusion. To analyze the idea of privacy, I looked to understand the psychology behind our innate need for distance and time for introspection. This opened up possibilities for exploring how privacy is often an elusive practice that can rarely be achieved in co-living environments without the use of physical barriers.

The final object explores tension through materiality within the form of a reading chair. The shelves and seat all contain the same language as the fabric drapes over the structure and changes shape when weight is applied. This aspect of the furniture creates a very natural feel to the object that isn’t bound by its rigid frame. The ladder-like structure of the chair creates a more playful form inviting the user to reach up to the books and sit below the structure, mimicking the idea of picking fruit and sitting beneath the tree.

Through my explorations, I wanted to challenge the way we store knowledge and engage in the act of reading, creating an object that the user could develop a ritual around and providing a sense of privacy and serenity in the home.

This was developed as part of the Furnitecture Studio directed by Ronnie Lacham at RMIT University.

Process