Modular Bench Stackable Seating Solution

I chose to explore the intersection of form and function by designing a piece of urban furniture. This endeavor stretched my creative muscles and forced me to consider the materiality and modularity in design. I learned about the impact of scale, context, and user interaction in public spaces, and how to translate a repetitive module into a functional and aesthetically pleasing urban element. The modular bench can be easily customized to best suit the user. The red pieces use dowel joints and act like Legos to stack on top of each other to allow the user to sit at their desired height.

1. Wooden palettes (free off of Facebook Marketplace)
2. 1/2" plywood sheet/ scraps
3. 1" PVC pipe
4. Various screws and nails
5. Paint

This design concept originates from 3d modeling a modular bench prototype. The bench makes use of dowel joints to allow easy combination of its modules in different fashions based on user preference. I made the decision to incorporate a sustainable aspect by involving plants (whether the bench surround a tree trunk or have a pot fill the middle).

I cut up the salvaged wooden palettes into 4 equal pieces, then chamfered the corners to form the central aperture. The sheet wood was used to patch the holes where the palette boards didn't cover. The PVC pipe was incorporated as a dowel joint on the underside of the modular pieces (with aligned hole slots on the top side).

Painted a couple couple coats of both red and black on their designated pieces. The colors were chosen to imbue it with Texas Tech theming (the university site where the bench would potentially be deployed).

Entire bench (relatively lightweight, able to be moved by 2 people) transported to the Huckabee College of Architecture.