PIPE Stool

An investigation into monomateriality, structural manipulation, and participatory design.
This project challenges the traditional boundaries of furniture manufacturing by transforming a single, continuous steel pipe into a functional stool, entirely eliminating the need for welding or complex assembly.

The core of the research focused on elevating a utilitarian, everyday industrial material into an object of refined aesthetic value. Following extensive material prototyping, a highly precise CNC laser-cut layout was engineered. This layout dictates the structural limits of the steel, allowing it to be bent by hand while retaining absolute structural integrity.

Rather than delivering a finished product, the design introduces a participatory experience. Distributed as a raw, flat pack cylinder housing a tailored cushion, the stool demands user engagement. The buyer becomes the final manufacturer, manually bending the steel into its ultimate functional form.

Because this final transformation relies entirely on human strength and kinetic interaction, no two bends are mathematically identical. The result is a series of stools that share the same industrial DNA, yet possess a distinct, unrepeatable character dictated by the hands of the user.