Chick ‘n’ Egg Chair is a lightweight seating furniture made entirely from corrugated cardboard. The form is based on an improved waffle like grid, which was digitally modeled in McNeel Rhino and then parametrically processed in Grasshopper. Although the chair was initially designed for kids, the dynamic setup allows the piece to be rescaled to any desired size, grid resolution and material thickness or strength. So far two versions are available – one for small children (57cm x 42cm x 51cm, 5.5kg) and another one for grown ups (90cm x 75cm x 85cm, 11kg).

The algorithm to compute the necessary cutting paths for digital fabrication is relatively simple. First the solid 3D model is scanned and a basic rectangular grid projected onto its surface. The first set of lines slices the form vertically. The second set remains perpendicular to the center curve and therefore provides more stability and comfort to the final piece. The grid is then extruded to meet the desired material thickness and intersections and connection slots are automatically determined and adjusted. The resulting parts are nested on a flat surface and can be processed by a cutting plotter, laser cutter or CNC milling machine. This method is very flexible and can basically be used for any continuous surface or form and will adjust itself automatically.