Japanese practice  Yuji Tanabe Architects   has just launched a spinoff of its TWINS  chair  project, developed 18 years ago as two stackable stainless steel seats that fit into one another like a puzzle. The 2022 version, titled ‘TWINS-MDF,’ takes the original design one step further by using Medium Density Fiberboard — a composite material made of wood fibers and synthetic resin adhesive — to create the ‘Frame’ and ‘Surface’ chairs.

Like their name suggests, ‘Frame’ is built to serve as the outline of ‘Surface,’ complementing each other like solid and void. Moreover, due to the uneven top of each chair’s back plate, it’s possible to connect them laterally like a bench.

all images via Yuji Tanabe Architects 

To produce the ‘TWINS-MDF’ set, the  team   at Yuji Tanabe Architects extracted the backboard of ‘Surface’ from the inside of ‘Frame’ using  EMARF’ s Shop Bot (CNC router). The process required first a repeated study of the manufacturable range, drill width, and position interference of the joints.  ‘It’s like creating a puzzle while searching for the greatest common divisors of each,’  explains the practice.

Finally, by studying each chair’s Medium Density Fiberboard trimmings, Yuji Tanabe Architects has achieved a high yield rate, exceeding 70%, with remarkably few offcuts in the standard Japanese 4×8 board size (1219x2438mm). The yield rate is the ratio of sawn timber obtained to raw wood. The higher the number, the lesser the waste.

You can view Yuji Tanabe’s original ‘TWINS’ project here

‘TWINS-MDF’ chairs produced at two different scales

‘Surface’ and ‘Frame’ represent a relationship of mass and void 

using Medium Density Fireboard (MDF) trimmings

close-up shot of the joints  Yuji Tanabe Architects used a CNC router to shape the mass/void set 

name: TWINS-MDF / Chair design: Yuji Tanabe Architects | @yuji_tanabe_architects

support: EMARF, VUILD, Azuma Plywood, Enokido Lumber 

frame chair: 420×576×95 mm

surface chair: 335.3×491.3×869. 3mm

rabbit chair: 144×165×504 mm

cat chair: 59.3×116.3×419.3 mm

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom

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