Instructions for a Wooden Stool

Lilly Saniel-Banrey

Designer of many things. Sowing joy and wellbeing into the details of everyday life. Currently at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. See a full scope of work including architecture, graphics, objects, and documents. Or just see my current projects.

Built 2022

with Juno Zhu, Vivienne Shi, and Evan de Lara
Harvard Graduate School of Design
Course led by Jonathan Grinham

As part of the Materials course at the GSD, students are tasked with investigating one of four commonly used building materials through the conception of a stool. Wood, often used in wood construction, is tasked with breaking perceptions of its bounds of nominal lumber and cast as a supple material embracing unconventional ball and socket joints and as-found wooden objects. In addition, students are tasked with drawing out the life cycle analysis and making costs of producing the stools. Final projects were displayed in a “science fair” style review, encouraging posters.

A pine dowel rod, 3 found pine table legs, and spare plywood embrace the wonky, the floppy, and the in-betweens.