Steelcase Tree

Brayton International (now part of Steelcase) worked with us to develop furniture with the interactive properties of Sensitile Terrazzo™. Inspiration for the designs in this projectwere the shapes of tree stumps and rocks, which Norman Diekman then made more geometrical. In order to work, the material needed to be a repeatable, lightweight, and single piece three-dimensional casting.

We initially produced several design variations and eventually chose a geometrical slanted cube shape, which we then refined based on production processes, weight restrictions, and durability. We developed the molds for this piece, allowing the 18" cube of cast concrete to have a 1" thickness in the wall and base. The "shell" construction allowed the table to develop strength and yet weigh less than 80 pounds, even though a solid cube of this size would weigh more than 400 lbs.

The top surface of the table is interactive Terrazzo while the bottom features an adjustable leveling base.