Gener-Bamboo

Bamboo chairs are common in South China, especially in traditional Chinese households. But there are less and less bamboo chairs being made due to the decreasing number of craftsmen. This chair is built on the knowledge of craftsmen and takes years of practice, leaving little room for outsiders to innovate. Through my research, I found that the hardest part of making a bamboo chair is the joint which needs to cut, bake and bend bamboo. I wondered if I could use generative design to mould this connection and make it easier to build. By using Fusion 360, I generated some joints and picked several to 3D print and link with bamboo. After testing these small prototypes, I chose most satisfying one.