FlaxPack

• Prize
  Winner in Stool
• Designer
  Kevin Saslawsky, Christian Steixner, Michael Tucker
• Other Credit
  Assoc. Prof. Hanaa Dahy, Vanessa Costalonga
• Photo Credit
  Kevin Saslawsky
• School
  University of Stuttgart
• Location
  Stuttgart
• Project Date
  February 2022
• Project Link
  view
• Web URL
  view

FlaxPack is a composite stool made by Tailored Fiber Placement of natural fibers onto a textile preform. Despite the rigid, bio-resin infusion, FlaxPack circumvents any shape-dependent manufacturing barriers by incorporating compliant folding mechanisms allowing the material to be bent and folded into a desired shape. These enable subsequent shaping based on the geometry previously developed parametrically, computationally simulated, and materially optimized. Resulting from the curved fold lines and materials, the emergent geometry expresses an organic form and natural aesthetic.
FlaxPack enables the production of material-saving components that are flat to transport and easy to deploy on site. The desired shape is held with a simple drawstring that can later be removed to return the flat state. This is useful for both furniture design and bespoke architectural components. Its two dimensional fabrication process of automated fiber placement and resin infusion make this design technically simple and economically viable to develop for large scale manufacturing and distribution where its curved, three dimensional user assembly evokes a unique emotional response to the product.