Tien-sheng Huang

About

Combining profound philosophy from the eastern background with expressive spirit from the western influence, I am highly capable of identifying wide-ranged values of designs from the practical to the visionary. Also with this combination, derives ample passions for design, and the ambition to achieve the sense of balance and objectivity.

Degrees
MA, Design Products, Royal College of Art, London, 2011
MA, Industrial Design, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, 2007
BA (Hons), Industrial Design, Da Yeh University, Taiwan, 2002

Experience
Research assistant, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, 2005-7; Internship, Samsung, Shanghai, China, 2006

Exhibition
Future Reflections, Gallery FUMI, London, 2009; Appartamento LAGO Milano, Milan Furniture Fair, Milan, Italy, 2009; Young Designers' Exhibition, Taipei, Taiwan, 2002

Award
Winner, MOE Scholarship Program for Overseas study in Art and Design, 2007; Nominated, Taiwan Innovative Mechanism Design Competition, 2002

Contact

Email
gamabigbirdken@hotmail.com
tien-sheng.huang@network.rca.ac.uk

Phone nomber
+44 (0)7593024588
+886 (0)937331991

Shows

Thermal Expansion_New Jointing System




How it works

The assembling procedure is very efficient, requiring only the minim amount of time to join the parts. It can be done simply with a welding torch or electric heaters that reaches the temperature needed. Taking the bench as an example, each leg is held firmly by two rings, one on the top and one down the bottom. Originally, the diameter of each rings were made just slightly smaller than the width of the legs so they could not fit in, but after heating up to 700C in less than 1 minute, the rings expanded so they could be pushed to fit into the legs. Cold water was then poured onto the heated brass rings to cool them down for contraction, which held the legs tightly in place.

 

The concept is employing the technique of shrink fitting on the structure for furniture, which is based on the principle of thermal expansion. Shrink fitting, applying the change of temperature to join different parts together without any medium, is commonly used in the engineering field. However, it is a novel method in furniture design. I started to explore the potential of this principle in furniture design with an aim to reveal its value to people. The main goal of this method was to achieve simplicity in furniture structures and manufacturing process. All the furniture pieces were authentically constructed and assembled only with solid brass (structure) and wood (body), without any additional components such as screw, bolt, nail, and glue. The assembling procedure is very efficient, requiring only the minim amount of time to join the parts. It can be done simply with a welding torch or a normal blowtorch that reaches the temperature needed. Taking the bench as an example, each leg is held firmly by two rings, one on the top and one down the bottom. Originally, the diameter of each rings were made just slightly smaller than the width of the legs so they could not fit in, but after heating up to 700°C in less than 1 minute, the rings expanded so they could be pushed to fit into the legs. Cold water was then poured onto the heated brass rings to cool them down for contraction, which held the legs tightly in place.

Apart from the achievement of simplicity of structure and efficiency of assembling, other advantages of this concept include the high flexibility of the form of structures where different designs can be applied with the same method of jointing. In addition, the holding strength after contraction can easily be increased if the contact surface area to the body of the furniture is enlarged. It also has the potential to be applied to a broader range of materials that may be difficult to join such as marble, granite, and other stones. So it has the potential to create furniture both for indoor and outdoor use according to the materials adopted.

Materials used:

Solid wood, Brass

Ch 04


This chair is developing continuously. The primary concept of this project was to make an extremely thin, compact, and light weighted portable folding chair, convenient for its users to carry and store away. After careful thinking and considerations, the final design achieved this aim successfully. The chair was constructed to collapse and fold flat, aligning between the sidebars without any extrusion of parts (as can be seen in the illustration below on the right).
The production process of this chair was relatively straight forward and simple. It involved the standard amount of labor works and manufacturing technics, allowing the possibility for mass production. In addition, most of the pieces were fastened on the same vertical axis, located on the lateral face. This was to achieve simplicity and unity in both the production process and visual perception. The final model was completed with a thickness of merely 19mm.




During the development process of this chair, I acquired a further discovery, which was its reversible function with the seat. This provoked the idea that there could be two different materials used for the seating, one for the top and one for the reversible side. Some ideas of possible coupled materials could be soft and hard, warm and cool, clothed and leathered, to show the contrast and to encourage a two way application of the chair perhaps during seasonal changes. To be more explicit, it may be conventional to use wood on one side for cooler seasons and metal on the other for warmer seasons. This could enhance the value of the chair as it has a two way application function. The series of images below demonstrate the reversible function of the chair where one side of the seat was wood, and the other with metal sheets installed.

Ch 04_

The concept of this chair extended and developed from the previous design. Although the frame adopted the same structure, there was a change in the seating material from wood and flat metal sheets to bended metal sheets. The essential difference with this chair was the application of bended metal sheets as a seating base, which created more comfortable facets for the shape of human body. Even though the various bended metal sheets inserted were of different levels and depths, the thinness of the folded up structure remained the same measurement of 19mm. Both the backrest and seat base were made up of pieces of bended mental sheets that were first laser cut then treated by bending machine. The result was that the chair had better ergonomic shape with a touch of modern beauty.

Occasional Table

This table was designed for the convenience of its users. It is easily self assemble and disassemble, making it particularly suitable for use in occasions like outdoor parties or banquets due to its light weight and flexible structures. The table frame is constructed from 3 pieces of steel frames with 6 counter sunk (B.S.F. screw) creating a triangle structure which can be taken apart completely when necessary. Therefore, the cost of manufacturing and delivery of this table can be significantly reduced due to the advantages of its design.

King's Shoe Cabinet

Through careful observations, I discovered that some people prefer to keep shoes in their original shoe boxes in order to keep the dust away and to prolong their endurance. Thus, the question of how to store shoe boxes came to mind. The concept proposed here is a simple and easy method for stacking shoe boxes and keeping them tidy and organized. The design is of great convenience for the user, because with the three pillars of measured distance creating a triangular space, it allows them to draw out any one of the boxes from the stack without it collapsing. The pillars are able to firmly hold the stack by stopping the two upper and lower boxes from falling out. Even though this solution may not be perfect, it is a creative and simple way of bringing convenience into our lives with storing shoes, and also, a great way to keep the hallway tidy with only little space needed.

:::Products:::

Tea Impression
Chandelier
Relief Postcard
Name Card Warmer

Tea Impression


Double-dacker bus, telephone booth and Queens' guard are the most symbolic impressions of London for people. They become images in our memory when we leave London as we cannot bring them away. However, tea could easily take away from this place, in fact, many insiders need it as commodities. Therefore, I will suggest a tourist to bring tea and memory back as they are so economical and simple. Memory comes when you are drinking the tea. The flavor brings the memory back and also the image shows the most familiar scenery in London. That is this work want to tell. Once the memory faded as time goes, the tea impression will remind many things again.

Chandelier

This is a lighting design for the FUMI gallery. The concept was drawn from the principles of reflection with an idea to create specular light bulb reflections through the use of glass. While there is actually only one incandescent light bulb luminous inside the glass box, the reflection appears to be tens or even hundreds (depending on the observing angle) creating an image of a chandelier. The traditional Edison’s light bulbs are perhaps gradually becoming less practical for our current global conditions with the energy issues and pollution problems. However, the use of incandescent light bulbs is still attractive for some people for its warm, natural luminous ambience. Therefore, this design is a compromise for both matters.


Relief Postcard

This concept considers blind people deserve the equal opportunity of postcard exchange. This concept want to establish meaningful communication for them by the original postal access. Although they normally need others' help to write the postal information, senders can convey their true regards and emotion by the rest of content. This postcard reveals the functional textures including the Stamp blank, Address line, Parting line and representative images, and the thin polystyrene sheet enables to write easily and keep Braille texts permanently. Receivers can touch and read the expression through the clear protruding texture and words. In the same way, foreigners are able to share the cultural difference by local images. The production of vacuum forming and injection molding on plastic sheets can make it. Accordingly, the printing ink is saved so the consumption of energy can be reduced as well.

Name Card Warmer

Open source project
Scientific researches suggest that people will have better impression on others when they hold warm stuffs like hot coffee cup. Also, people who hold warm things tend to treat others more generous. Accordingly, this project adapted the theory to the social media of communication - name card - for the purpose to enhance the quality of first impression. This is a name card holder containing warmer. Before we shake hands with new friends, our hands are warmed by the name card holder and therefore we ensure that new friends have better feeling with our touch. As a concept of open source, the way of making the holder is quite easy, instant and flexible. The materials, cardboard(paper), hand warmer, double side tape (glue), cuttable/soft metal sheet and the instruction, are required before making.

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