Caterpillar stool, by hyeonil jeong.

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Say the words molded plywood together and we immediately think of the classic Eames chair. Though its seat is molded to accommodate our posterior and is by no means uncomfortable, its sit-abilty is vastly improved by a cushion. However, emerging designer Hyeonil Jeong was able to take the same materials and create a seat that flexes to provide a cushier seat.

Jeong does use one material that the Eames, to my knowledge, never did: bungee cord. While his Caterpillar Stool has a more or less traditional frame, the seat is made from slats of CNC-cut molded plywood woven together with bungee cord, which acts like a shock absorber when you sit down on it.

“No matter how stiff each piece is, flexible relation makes an smooth flow. Its elastic connection allows an organic surface movement despite the rigidity of ply-wood material.”

I love how the seat, when unoccupied, arches upwards with all the slats fitting nicely into place and running smoothly alongside one another. But when you sit down the seat flexes to support you and the slats shift, forming a jagged layer underneath. I’ve been noticing a trend towards woven elements in furniture in general this year, but I’ve never come across a product that strings pieces of wood together to give the material a whole new functionality.