Our competition submission for the 2013 Design By Nature exposition is a collection of four concrete composite cubes (measuring 2.5 cubic feet each) that have industrial volumes ‘subtracted’ from 3 or more of their 6 surfaces. The durable cubes can be oriented together or separately in a variety of configurations. Each cube will contain a recycled foam core, which reduces their weight considerably compared to solid concrete masses of similar size. This makes the pieces suitable for both indoor and outdoor uses to include: low + high seating, side tables, coffee tables and sculpture.

OUR INTEREST

Industrial, cast metal pump casings often start out in the wood shop.  Millworkers + machine operators carve solid, laminated wood blocks to create ‘patterns’ that are used to make sand-moulds. The sand-moulds are then used for casting.  It is common for companies to make one-off castings, which means that the patterns go to waste after their first use.

Our design team was exposed to an overwhelming number of decommissioned patterns this year. They are beautifully crafted relics of Canadian manufacturing.  We approached Tim Sheppard, a local pattern maker with our idea for a Design By Nature proposal. He graciously agreed to donate a retired pattern component called a ‘core box’ that meets our size specifications perfectly.

 OUR PROCESS ( See corresponding diagrams below)

A - Section the ‘core box’ into quarters and form the sides of each quarter using off- cut lumber

B- Suspend recycled pieces of dense foam insulation inside the formed quarters + pour fiber-based ECC (Engineered Cementitious Composite) into the core boxes

C- Extract the new cast volumes, polish and seal them. Compose them based on desired use.

SUSTAINABILITY

Our process uses exclusively recycled material except for the outer cementitious skin + sealer. Virgin material use will be limited to 20% or less in this project.

Desk 2 is a 10′ x 38″ x 3″ historic old redwood burl paired with our sand-cast aluminum ‘Wishbone’ legs.

The top is finished with natural oil and wax and the legs are hard anodized clear.  Both Wishbone castings are installed flush with the underside of the slab using countersunk, stainless-steel machine screws.

Please email us at info@stacklab.ca for information about our work, pricing, or to place an order.

In October 2012, we posted a schematic proposal for our first private table commission in New York. The project is now complete.  Our signature ‘wishbone’ legs are shown below in a polished bronze finish and are paired with a book-matched black walnut tabletop with corresponding bronze ‘stitches’.

For information about our work, pricing, or to place an order, please email us at info@stacklab.ca

Images are provided by Toronto photographer: Alan Hindle

We recently posted about our new signature cast table legs called the ‘Wishbone’. We now have three finishes available on a made-to-order basis out of our studio on Eastern Avenue in Toronto. The images below show two aluminum finishes: hard anodized (1-2); and polished (3-5). The third finish we are offering is cast bronze. Stay tuned this week for some spectacular images of the bronze that we are using in our first american table commission.

For more information about pricing, or to place an order, please email us at info@stacklab.ca

In April of last year we posted about a table leg prototype that we were developing called the ‘wishbone.’ Originally, the leg was intended for smaller tables, however, due to demand, we have redesigned the leg to bear greater loads. Currently we are in the process of making the first three pairs in a limited series for sale out of our studio on Eastern Avenue in Toronto. We are offering this leg design in three materials: polished solid cast aluminum, polished solid cast bronze, and hard anodized cast aluminum.

Prior to making the first casting (shown below in rough aluminum), we performed a number of stress tests to optimize the leg shape and volume for heavier loads. The diagrams below show a series of exaggerated stress conditions that helped us finalize the design:

1) Force applied from the side ( simulating a heavy nudge in direction x); 2) Force applied from the side ( simulating a heavy nudge in direction y); 3) Force applied from a corner ( simulating a person sitting / leaning XYZ); d) Force applied from above Z (simulating a person dancing on the table)

Stay tuned for further news as we go through the last stages of production. For information about pricing or to place an order, please email us at info@stacklab.ca

Walnut 2 is a proposal for a private commission in New York City.

The  10′-1″ table top will be made from two mirrored walnut slabs cut from the same fallen tree. They will be flattened to a 1 3/4″ thickness and bookmatched.  The legs are a slightly modified version of our Wishbone Leg prototype. For this project, we will be casting the leg in bronze and increasing it’s overall size to accommodate the larger table top.

Please email us at info@stacklab.ca for information about our custom design + build services

This is a continuation of last week‘s post – documenting our process of modelling and fabricating a prototype cast aluminum leg for our retail portfolio. We are now one step away from having a finished custom leg: These casts were hardened using a heat treatment and then prepared for finishing by grinding away the draft (the excess aluminum) and then sandblasting.  Stay tuned for updates on this project and please feel free to contact us at info@stacklab.ca with questions or comments.

Currently, we are in the process of prototyping a cast aluminum leg for our retail portfolio. The wishbone shape shown below starts with an inset crotch arch and then curves and tapers downwards in two directions. This week, with the help of our collaborator Styropatterns Inc., we will CNC mill a positive and negative mold pattern for each leg. Once we have the patterns milled, we will take them to a foundry where the metal workers will cast the shape for us. Stay tuned for updates on this project and please feel free to contact us at info@stacklab.ca with questions or comments.

*The schematic diagrams below are representational