Egg Seat | Zee Bialik Works

Egg seat.

This project was created during the second half of my sophomore year at Pratt with the primary goal of material exploration. We were to design a seat that fit within a one foot cube that used an uncommon material in a way that took advantage of its material properties.

This page outlines my process in its creation.

Material.

The seat is composed of commercial-sized egg crates found in the garbage outside of restaurants along a main street.

Egg crates use curved wood pulp as a durable but springy structure to keep eggs protected. This durability with elasticity is what drew me to the material and made me want to use it for the seat. The stacked crates can hold weight, but have enough movement and retention to act comfortably.

Materials prescribe form.

The egg crates are able to stack- with each layer added giving further structure and spring.

At first I found the structure of stacked crates unattractive, as it felt too obvious. I also did not like how it felt trapped in a cube shape. I kept a stack of egg crates by my desk for over a month and used it as a low seat, all while researching, sketching, and experimenting with various other materials, forms, and ideas.

Another train of thought.

For most of the course of this project, I was developing a completely different idea.

At a reservation where I grew up in New Jersey, there is a hiking trail with many "fairy houses" built along it- tiny structures of rocks and sticks. Inspired by that, I wanted to create seats along a hiking path using eco materials. Sticks, stones, twine, and long grasses could be used to create these seats for resting hikers. These are seats that would be unable to be owned or bought and sold- these are simply community tools created by the community.

I took a train to this reservation to follow through with my idea, but wasn't happy with what I was creating. The trip was not wasted though. While on the train there, I noticed I was having lower back pain. But while taking a break hiking and sitting down on a rock slanted forward, I noticed that my back pain had stopped. The slant of the seat was able to force my back into a more comfortable position. I was then able to take this realization and apply it to my earlier idea of the egg crate seat.

Egg ergonomics.

By creating a carve-out of the cube, the seat can be used in two major ways.

Flat side up, the seat has a flat surface and a slight back. The back is just tall enough to be supportive for the person sitting against it. About a third of people tested prefered sitting on it in this way.

When upside down- the primary way it is intended to be used- a slant is created. The amount of slant was heavily tested and adjusted to make it most comfortable. I continued to use the seat while working for weeks and found it was genuinely helpful for back pain. Other students in the studio would ask to borrow my seat while working, because it is truly functional and comfortable.

Sewing and finishing.

One of my final challenges with this project was to figure out how to hold the layers together. With my major background in bookbinding, I was able to bring in a method of attachment that involved sewing. I did two separate stab bindings for the front and back. To sew through it all, I had to first cut out holes. I then created a sewing needle that was big enough to pass through by taping rope to a skewer split in half. This blue rope was chosen for its contrast and heft.

Side note- because egg crates are made from paper that I used as sheets and sewed from the side, I joke that this is the biggest book I've ever created.