‘موج — Mawj- 3D Printed Chair’ — Is a 3D Printed Armchair commissioned by a private client and designed by MEAN (Middle East Architecture Network). ‘موج — Mawj’ The Arabic word for ‘Wave, undulate, crisp or ripple’ is a name that reflects the concept behind the design. The undulating patterns of the Aquamarine green surface is reminiscent of the waters of the Arabian Sea, at the shores of Dubai, the city where the chair was conceived.
The chair investigates the possibilities of robotic 3D printing for designing and producing bespoke furniture. Manufactured by Nagami, the design takes shape based on a continuous form, printed on its side with a thickness of just 6 mm, using advanced plastic polymers.
The chair’s dimensions borrow from the proportions of the Eames Lounge Armchair, one of the most iconic modern chairs. Designed as a standalone interior design object, the chair is a statement as well as a distinctive piece of furniture. A sequence of design iterations form the shape of the chair using algorithmic design processes.
Designed for comfort, structural stability, and ergonomics, the chair is a prototype for using advanced methods of furniture design and manufacturing. A series of lines moving in space form the layers for 3D printing in one single layer, the lines progressively form Sine curves as they wrap around the form. On every other layer, the curve inverts to a negative value, generating a weaving pattern that makes larger rippling undulations on the surface.
The pattern aids in the structural stiffness, as well as creating a unique aesthetic feature, which naturally emerges as the result of the parametric modeling of the chair. Following a series of prototypes, careful attention to small details in the making of the chair develops the outcome. The pattern fades out towards the edges and intensifies at the top, avoiding areas where the back would rest. The pattern continuously wraps around the billowing surface, doubly curved for structural stability.
موج — Mawj
X RIYAD JOUCKA (MEAN*)
Colors:
Teal, Black, White, Red
Dimensions:
90 x 65 x 97 cm
Materials:
Recycled PETG Polymer
Download files
→ PDF Spec Sheet
→ PDF Product Care
Riyad Joucka (MArch AA- Distinction) Is an award-winning architect, entrepreneur, and researcher. In 2016 He founded MEAN* ‘Middle East Architecture Network’ as a network of highly skilled individuals working in an interdisciplinary modus operandi.
With MEAN, Riyad has worked on projects ranging in scale, from products to buildings. The unifying aspect of his work is to utilize a critical approach to designing with a local mindset while using advanced processes for planning and construction.
He earned his Master of Architecture with Distinction at the Emergent Technologies & Design program at the AA School of Architecture in London.
MEAN
MEAN* Is an Innovative Architecture Practice that works at the nexus of design and emergent technologies.
Since its inception in 2016, MEAN* has developed projects of varying scales and functions. The overarching theme of the work produced by MEAN* responds to the contemporary context of the Middle East, developing a site-specific, native architectural language in juxtaposition to avant-garde technologies.
MEAN* utilizes cutting-edge computational design processes and digital fabrication tools to leverage the quality of architectural solutions. Our mission is to amalgamate computation, material research, and digital fabrication, to provide interdisciplinary solutions that respond to current economic, environmental, and social challenges.
MEAN* worked on projects ranging from large public buildings, residential, retail to small experimental structures and products. Most of which had been praised by international awards and publications for the innovative approach taken to materiality, fabrication methods, and outstanding design quality.
A major focus in the body of work at MEAN* remains rooted in the preservation of the character, ecology, and history of the locale, while projecting towards a globalized future. We aim to produce contemporary, visionary, and world-class architecture -with a vernacular mindset.
