Gold 3D Printed Forms and Products Design · 2021
Aitable Furniture
by Carlos Banon and Felix Raspall
- A' Design Award 2021 Gold Winner in 3D Printed Forms and Products Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: AirLab SUTD
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 499,730
- Verification code 501E116037 · Verify this award
About Aitable Furniture
Aitable is a dining table supported by three bronze legs. Conventional tables carrying a heavy tabletop require a thick section beneath it. The branching legs of Aitable were shaped with artificial intelligence software that reduces material while maintaining structural performance. Precise 3D printed sand molds were used, and each of the three unique legs was cast in bronze and polished by hand. The polished surfaces create nuanced reflections under changing light. The table measures 1600 by 1000 by 750 millimeters.
Carlos Bañon's Aitable Furniture exemplifies the remarkable convergence of computational design methodologies and traditional furniture typologies that has emerged as a significant trajectory within contemporary design practice. The work demonstrates how topology optimization algorithms, originally developed for aerospace and automotive engineering applications, can be translated into the domestic realm to create objects that are simultaneously structurally efficient and aesthetically compelling. The four supporting legs, each rendered through metal additive manufacturing processes, exhibit branching geometries that recall both natural growth patterns such as tree limbs, coral formations, and bone trabeculae and the mathematical logic of load path optimization, where material is deposited only where structural necessity demands. This synthesis of organic appearance and computational origin positions the work within broader conversations about biomimicry, digital craft, and the expanding possibilities of design in an age of advanced fabrication technologies. The deliberate contrast between the complexity of the legs and the serene simplicity of the tabletop surface creates visual tension that rewards sustained contemplation, inviting viewers to consider how advanced manufacturing enables forms previously impossible through traditional fabrication methods. The bronze or copper-toned finish of the printed metal legs introduces warmth and material preciousness that elevates the technological achievement into the realm of decorative arts tradition. One might observe how the placement within a transparently bounded interior space, with nature visible beyond, suggests dialogue between technological innovation and environmental context. How might the visible complexity of structure change our relationship to the objects we live with daily?
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Standard designs for a table this heavy would require a thick section under the tabletop.
Artificial intelligence presents a powerful tool to search for structurally more efficient design strategies to deliver radically new aesthetics.
Using precise 3DPrinted sand molds, the three unique legs are cast in bronze and manually polished, creating sophisticated reflects of nuanced refections under changing light conditions.
AI Table showcases how digital design can foster creativity and pragmatism. - Dimensions & Packaging
- 1600 x 1000 x 750 mm
The material of choice turned to bronze. Therefore, a positive model made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA for short) was 3D printed, and the models were then transformed into cast parts by the renowned artistic foundry Strassacker, based in Germany - Tags
- Additive Manufacturing, 3D Printing, Digital Design, Artificial Intelligence
- Production Technology
- PPMA Printed Mold
Cast Bronze
Autodesk Fusion 360 - Design Challenge
- The idea behind these branching table legs is not just based on the creative mind of a human being, but also the AI functionality of Autodesk Fusion 360 software combined with powerful 3D printing technology and traditional metal casting.
To cast the parts, the foundry molded the PMMA patterns into a ceramic shell that met the high-precision specifications. And as filigree as the end product may appear, in terms of stability these table legs are fully equal to a solid construction. The difference is made by a significantly reduced material input thanks to AI-assisted design and 3D pattern printing.
With 3D sand printing, formwork skins or entire formworks for concrete casting applications can be 3D printed regardless of their complexity. The printed formwork elements can be post-processed and optimized for ideal surface finish and for resistance to external weather conditions on construction sites, and can be conveniently combined with conventional formwork systems. Alternatively, formwork elements up to 4 x 2 x 1 meters in size can be printed without tools and in one piece. All common types of concrete, such as UHCP, can then be processed. - Project Duration
- 1 year
Singapore - Operation Flow
- This unique fabrication process combines a traditional method such as bronze casting with state-of-the-art 3D Printing moulds. The chosen sand-3DPrinting system is a powder-based process that does not require supports in the build process. On the one hand, this feature eliminates the need for printed (and lost) support structures, and, on the other, almost 100% of the unbound powder can be reused.
- Research
- The table is a statement on the redefinition of ornamentation in furniture design. The three bronze legs were designed following an ultra pragmatic process of material reduction with the help of powerful AI algorithms. Consequently, there is no additional layer of decoration. Each ounce of bronze is solely placed with the purpose of increasing the overall structural performance.
The smooth and fluid geometry of the legs and the delicate tabletop provides a rich tactile quality. - Inspiration
- At first glance, they are just a few table legs. The filigree, interwoven structures could be the work of a designer, inspired by observations made during a walk in the forest. To ensure that such fragile-looking structures do not collapse under the weight of a heavy tabletop, however, profound knowledge of the calculation of static loads is required in addition to artistic skill.
Colors of Aitable Furniture
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