Interactive Walkways

&
Transformable Chairs
Robert Cecil
Introduction

● The following designs are ways to naturally encourage people to interact with their

environment while also serving various functions.

● I want to encourage people of all ages to explore, think, and come together.

● Diagrams and outlines are shown for a series of walkways and seating that are

being used in the early stages of construction and implementation.

● These projects are part of my year-long senior project for my major.

Paul Mattise

● Building on the work of Paul Matisse, this project

will be both larger and more functional

Light Chime Posts

● Chimes, likely made from aluminum pipes, will be constructed

by inserting standard T posts into them and bolting them down.

● . Further adaptions may involve repurposing solar powered

garden lamps and hooking them to capacitive touch sensors to

trigger them when the chime is struck.

Light Chime Post Cont.

● The walkway chimes will be done in two

stages. The first is a maquette to the tune

of “Shave and a Haircut”, to which the

next stage involves presenting a proposal

to the university to build a larger work to

the tune of its Alma Mater on the campus.

Puzzles for Your Posterior

● The first design is based on a Soma cube

block puzzle, invented by Piet Hein in 1933.

The design will be taken and enlarged to a

1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 meter cube. Wood frames

will be constructed, reinforced, and

upholstered (likely with double rub fabric).

Puzzles for Your Posterior Cont.

● The second is based on the snake cube

puzzle, to which 27 cubes (each with ½ m

sides) will be constructed, reinforced, and

upholstered, along with specific holes,

through which a thick rope will be run

through and tied at the end with

considerable tension.
Pin Art

● The third design is inspired by pin art toys and is likely the

most difficult to fabricate of the three seating designs

Pin Art Couch

● Pipes or dowels of the cheapest, but minimally strong,

material will be wrapped in foam (possibly pipe

insulation or pool floats).

● These rod complexes will then be tightly wrapped in fabric.

● The supporting structure will be a reinforced wood frame

attached to a platform to help bear the weight of people with

evenly spaced holes cut out of thick plywood.

Pin Art Couch Cont.

● Sections of pipe larger than the rods or a

slip coating will line the edges of the holes

to allow for easy shifting.

● The result is interactive and customizable

seating, useable on both sides.

Notes and Conclusions
● The seating will be done in two stages, possibly three. The first stage involves

constructing the components of the Soma cube and upon successful completion,

methods and materials used will be carried over to next stage to build the snake cube.

If the second structure succeeds, the third design will be built.

● The goal of these works is to create interactive and FUNctional surroundings that

generate opportunities to learn and play.

● Another is to unite form and function as complementary elements. I seek to make the

world more interesting through my work.

Acknowledgements

Matisse, Paul. Musical Fence. 1980, Aluminum and Concrete, The DeCordova Museum, Lincoln,
MA

Thank you to the Kearns Center and McNair Program for encouraging and supporting the
research I do.

A special thank you to Allen C. Topolski from the Department of Art & Art History and Renato
Perucchio from the Department Mechanical Engineering and ATHS Major for making this
research project possible!
Questions and Comments