Konstantin Achkov and the puzzle furniture13. Mar2013
Konstantin Achkov is a young Bulgarian artist and designer. He graduated from National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, has a Master degree in sculpture and is presently a PhD student at the same university. He is mostly known for his “Stack" series, a series of puzzle furniture, assembled only using puzzle joints without glue, nails, screws or bolts.
We discussed with Konstantin the principles of his work and he gave us more insight into the puzzle furniture. What triggered you to start to design things?
The idea for me to start working on this type of puzzle-structures, cut on a CNC router emerged on an exhibition. I appeared with a small group of six other Bulgarian designers in 2009 on the 100% Design London exhibition. The objective was to create a construction of a stand that had to be compact, easily portable and easy to assemble and disassemble. As a result I came up with the idea of a stylized tree, which we successfully executed. I was very impressed of the advantages of such constructions, that don’t require any glue or fasteners.
What design areas are you active in now? What other areas would you like to explore in the future?
For the moment I’m mainly focused on the puzzle and flat-pack design and by that I mean that I cut all the elements on a CNC router or laser. It’s very challenging and exciting for me to cut a chair or a table only of one single piece of plywood and to be able to assemble it after that without any glue. In a near future I would like to return to Tensegrity furniture, where I have some unique, one of a kind works. With the help of the CNC router cutting method I could avoid the expensive metal elements with precision welds.
What is the story of the first object that you created? To whom was it sold/given/donated?
Basically I graduated sculpture and my entire life I’ve worked with my hands, whether modeling or painting. My first design object was during my student period and I had to develop the interior of a luxury restaurant. I installed stretched fabric on the ceiling, which played the role of light reflectors and decoration in the same time. For fasteners I used a cancer pinch of my invention and a stylized fish. Both of the elements were made of cast aluminum. Many of them came later into use in the restaurant. The remaining ones I gave away to friends on birthdays and holidays.
What do you consider to be your best work so far?
Every next work of mine is in a way better then the previous ones. Even because of the fact that I gain experience. But actually every artist has his ups and downs! I would say that I have a model of a table called “V-Star” or a table and chair called “X-Tense”, that I’d qualify more as a successful experiment for a new way of shaping, then as a design achievement. If I had to remake those models now, with new materials, I suppose I could upgrade them in a commercial way, but that doesn’t mean these first original samples are less valuable.
Who are your main influencers in your work?
The inspiration comes sometimes unexpected. For example when you glance on some form or even on a piece of something that has nothing to do with what I planed to develop. Or I use the method of self-challenging – what am I able to say in a specific popular area of the design. But mostly my best ideas take place in the working process. When I make a model or draw a sketch, I have solutions coming in my head for other objects.
Tell us about your design process.
My working process is as standard as it is with its specifics. Generally I begin with lots of sketches of the idea until the form and the construction become clear in my head. After that I cut a model, which lately I make of pasteboard in a 1:5 scale. This way I’m able to check it in a physical object whether it has the right form, joints, solidity and above all the presence and the behavior of the object in the open space. Whenever I’m satisfied of the model I start drawing it the 3D program. With the help of a software engineer that I’m working and with who’s making the 3D drawing, we clean up all possible mistakes that appear in that process and make the final adjustments in real time. After that we go to a prototype 1:1.
Do you have a crazy design idea? What is it?
Every idea of mine has its dose of craziness. If it hadn’t it wouldn’t provoke me to develop it. Every design area I worked in had Who are your main influencers in your work?
The inspiration comes sometimes unexpected. For example when you glance on some form or even on a piece of something that has nothing to do with what I planed to develop. Or I use the method of self-challenging – what am I able to say in a specific popular area of the design. But mostly my best ideas take place in the working process. When I make a model or draw a sketch, I have solutions coming in my head for other objects.
Tell us about your design process.
My working process is as standard as it is with its specifics. Generally I begin with lots of sketches of the idea until the form and the construction become clear in my head. After that I cut a model, which lately I make of pasteboard in a 1:5 scale. This way I’m able to check it in a physical object whether it has the right form, joints, solidity and above all the presence and the behavior of the object in the open space. Whenever I’m satisfied of the model I start drawing it the 3D program. With the help of a software engineer that I’m working and with who’s making the 3D drawing, we clean up all possible mistakes that appear in that process and make the final adjustments in real time. After that we go to a prototype 1:1.
Do you have a crazy design idea? What is it?
Every idea of mine has its dose of craziness. If it hadn’t it wouldn’t provoke me to develop it. Every design area I worked in had its dose of crazy! Chairs and tables made of tubes and tensioned with wire ropes, where the tubes are not touching each other and everything stands magically only on those ropes. Chairs and tables made of glued pasteboard. Puzzle chairs and tables assembled without glue or screws. The next to come is to combine all these models. Tensegrity furniture made of plywood cur on CNC router or puzzle pasteboard elements that can be assembled in different configurations. The future will show!
Konstantin Achkov is most known for puzzle and flat-pack furniture that DDJ has also presented here.---
The collections is made of 18 mm beech plywood cut with CNC rooter into many pieces, like a puzzle. The pieces are assembled together only using puzzle joints without glue, nails, screws or bolts. The collection includes various chair prototypes, an armchair, bar stools and a table. The collection was launched at Sofia Design Week in June 2012 and it can be viewed and purchased through Tenom site.---
The same principles of puzzle construction are used when building this sled, also made of plywood, no glue, no nails. Having only 3 kg, the sled has the advantage that can be carried also by a younger child.---
The insight of his work was presented in more detail at the 'Puzzle for living' exhibition, at the in Credo Bonum Gallery in Sofia from 12.12.2011 to 15.01.2012. DDJ has presented this exhibition here
---
See also:
