Sawdust Stool addresses the reuse of manufacturing by-products, in this case sawdust. The stool is used as a study for material attributes, production process and intuitive form based on a sawdust composite material. The resulting stool speaks a unique design language due to a synergistic play between material and process. It also is outstandingly strong, capable of withstanding jumps from a 150 lb person.

The entire process began with a material sample I created when I was experimenting with materials. The sample I concocted using wood glue and sawdust resembled MDF, strong and structurally stable. From there I experimented with material percentages to get the highest strength-to-glue ratio. The final material mix had a dough like consistency and had the ability to be hand molded.

The construction of the chair occurred in 3 steps. First, a skeleton of newspaper and tape is constructed. Next the material is prepared and hand shaped onto the newspaper structure. The last step involves a long wait for the material to cure and dry completely.