designers of the future: max lamb at design miami / basel 2008

max lamb – portrait © designboom

as one of the ‘four designers of the future’ at design miami/ basel 2008, max lamb presented new work inside the markthalle basel. each of the designers were commissioned by design miami/ to create new works using concrete and wool and document the creative process of the work with a short video. ‘solids of revolution’ – concrete and felt stools by max lamb ‘solids of revolution are two collections of stools in concrete and wool felt formed using rotational cutting processes. two inherently disparate materials unified by property and by process. hard, heavy concrete becomes lightweight and malleable. soft, supple wool becomes rigid and strong. the convergence of two polar opposites at a state of physical property where the same processes apply’.

‘concrete stools’ by max lamb – from the collection ‘solids of revolution’ – image © designboom

concrete stools

‘autoclaved cellular concrete is a foamed concrete containing a high volume of air in a cell-like structure. the material is five times lighter than concrete, highly insulating and easily machined making it perfect for turning on a lathe’.

‘concrete stools’ by max lamb – from the collection ‘solids of revolution’ – image © designboom

‘concrete stools are turned from a complete palette of 18 autoclaved cellular concrete blocks 32 x 32 x 62cm in size. these blocks present perfect dimensions for a seat surface and sitting height and can be mounted onto a lathe and formed using traditional woodturning tools. every stool is unique and none were predetermined. each stool a consequence of that preceding it’.

‘concrete stools’ by max lamb – from the collection ‘solids of revolution’ – image © designboom

felt stools

‘when wet wool fibres are repeatedly rubbed together under pressure the tiny scales on each fibre naturally stitch together and become matted. if the process is continued and compression increased it is possible to create a block of natural textile that displays similar properties to wood, thus capable of being machined’.

‘felt & concrete stools’ by max lamb – from the collection ‘solids of revolution’‘felt stools are small columns of laminated wool felt discs of varying diameters each with a different machined edge profile representative of those used in the polishing industry. square, bevel and radius edged discs combine to create three sets of three stools’.