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Johannessen & Clarke's OSSA Folding Chair

By Rain Noe - October 12, 2012

in Furniture Design

Here's a very different take on the folding chair: The OSSA, created by Vancouver-based design duo Johannessen & Clarke. The pair (Solveig and Krystin, respectively) met while they were third-year ID students at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, and drew inspiration for the chair from skeletal structures of indigenous animals:

It is constructed to evoke surprise and delight with an expressive folding motion through its center spine. OSSA is the Latin name for bones which tributes the fifty bone elements required for the spinal hinge and equally points to our inspiration of anatomy and Canadian wildlife such as venison or wild goats.

The angles and precise spacing of the spine hinge allows the bones to only bend in one direction and lock into position in its open state.

The J&C website is vague about whether or not they're still students, and thus far the OSSA's the only piece there, but we hope to see more from the pair in the future.

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Andrew

12 years ago

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As I can see in the top picture... it does not fold flat. It seems to crumple into an inelegant heap... which I suppose is appropriate, given the description of being influenced by... venison. The folded chair does have a resemblance to a deer that has been shot.

I have no beef with goats. I stew about mixed metaphors.
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JB

12 years ago

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The cross-brace had me questioning it too. It looks like it is not wood but rather a leather strap between the legs. Look at the materials on their webpage.

"Strap _ English Kip leather"
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Jared

12 years ago

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Pretty sure the cross brace is leather/fabric based on the connection point.
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bloop

12 years ago

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The cross brace is a leather strap, it folds up along with the legs.

And what's your beef with goats?
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Steven

12 years ago

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I was lucky enough see this chair personally at IDSWest this year,
@Andrew: It does fold flat, as you can see in the top picture.
The braces are actually leather, you can see the pegs holding them in place. When the chair is folded, they fold as well.
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Andrew

12 years ago

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If a chair is designed to fold, should it not be designed to fold flat? Where is the cross-brace when this is in its "folded" (buckled?) state?

Wild goats? Um... yeah.
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