Dornob | Design Ideas Daily

Spinal Staircase: Bare-Bones Steps Inspired by Vertebrae

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST

The backbone of a whale may sound like a strange place to draw inspiration, but nature often features forms that have evolved well to fit certain purposes (or porpoises, if you’ll pardon the wordplay).

Andrew McConnell conceived of this system as a modular set of components that can be deployed in a spiral, each element supporting the next – the only variation would occur in the top and bottom pieces that connect to landings.

And while the pieces may look (and be, for that matter) three-dimensionally complex, this is the age of 3D printing, and creating something repetitive of this kind could also be done using molds.

From the designer: “Inspired by the spine of a whale, the Vertebrae Staircase is not simply mimicry of organic form but an exploration in shaping structure. Much of the design work went into refining the single component, or vertebra, that mate with each other creating a unified spine running from floor plate to floor plate. These interlocking vertebrae provide a rigid structure for the steps, railing and its users. And the railing is reinforced by connections that help the staircase resist rotational forces caused by the cantilevered steps.”

Keep Going - Check out this Great Related Dornob Article:

Spinal Staircases: Bespoke Metal & Glass Inspired by Bone

Stepping Stones: Smooth-Polished Concrete Spiral Staircase

Downside Up: Poured Liquid Solidifies into Tables & Shelves

Posted: 28 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST

When the fluid hardens, you never know quite what shape it might make – that surprise is part of the fun and uniqueness of this casting technique.

A bio-resin made of acrylic liquid and mineral powder is poured into the wooden base, turned upside down, and spills out onto a frame below through slits in the central support.

The result is different each time, but essentially consists of a flat top (plus or minus interesting lines and patterns) with an uneven underside – and an often-unpredictable edge condition.

Claire Ferreira (images by Roel Paredaens) featured her work at the London Design Festival after graduating from the Royal College of art. Shelves, tables, really any furnishing with a surface is an intriguing candidate for this process.