H1 Lounge Chair: a self-shaping wooden furniture

A first-of-its-kind concept, Germany-based Hylo Tech’s “H1” lounge chair is a part of HygroShape – a fascinating collection of one-off pieces demonstrating truly self-shaping warm wooden furniture. Intrigued?

Inspired by the Greek term ‘hyle’, utilized for both matters and the ancient building material of wood. Hylo Tech brilliantly develops innovative ecological solutions re-molding the bio-based future of design.

Seamlessly implementing programming to harness the unique potentials of sustainable materials as well as practices. This extraordinary project sheds light on and represents a shift in manufacturing processes.

Skillfully designed at the University of Stuttgart – “each and every object highlights a specific material programming syntax crafted to study the computational fabrication concept from harvesting to use” says Hylo Tech.

Utilizing intrinsic properties of wood – these minimalistic products with a Scandinavian aesthetic are fabricated in flatpack configurations, shaping themselves when unpacked.

Its self-shaping emerges from the hygroscopic shrinkage that naturally occurs in organic wooden materials. “This takes place without human interaction, tools, or assembly instructions, unfurling smoothly, as quickly as overnight” Hylo Tech adds.

Once shaped, its parts further lock mechanically creating stability – while retaining an active ergonomic function through small effortlessly harmonious movements.

Crafted specifically for a dynamic posture and compliance in back support. H1 is their upright piece of furniture with its form generated through the unfurling of two linked surfaces.

“This amplifies the movement – allowing it to stand up from a completely flat configuration” Hylo Tech adds.