Biobench: Model No.
The Biobench series was created to fill a need in the commercial space. Biophelia is a growing trend in office spaces and entry ways around San Francisco. The Biobench serves as a highly versatile seating and biophelia solution that can be configured in many different shapes and applications.
The benches are designed for both indoor and outdoor use with nine bench-top variations per use case. They also come in a taller height to add verticality to any installation. The asymmetrical shape of the Biobench allows it to be married together in unique ways and reconfigured in a space to keep the area fresh and unique.
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Design for Manufacturing
The main design challenge with the Biobench was figuring out how to securely attach the planter's bottom surface to the shell while ensuring a watertight seal. This difficulty arose because the bench-tops rely on the flange at the top of the shell to index their location. This flange also serves as the print surface. Due to the printer’s overhang angle constraints, this flange could not be replicated at the shell’s bottom.
To solve this, I designed a frame with a dado running around its perimeter. This dado essentially acts as a channel for the glue, allowing the shell to press into the glue during assembly. We use a bio-based construction adhesive, which, while less toxic, doesn’t form as strong a surface bond as conventional adhesives. The dado helps the glue flow into the shell’s layer lines, and as it cures, it keys into these lines, forming a robust bond that doesn’t rely solely on surface adhesion.
