On display

Kumu

Chair
2021
Artist/Maker
Unto This Last (manufacturers)
Place of origin
London (manufactured)

Children's chair, 'Kumu', designed and manufactured by Unto This Last, London, 2021, CNC cut plywood.

Object details

Categories
Children & Childhood
Furniture
Digital Design
London
Woodwork
Object type
Chair
TitleKumu (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
The chair is a composite of seven separate CNC cut components fixed by dry-locking joints. It is made from a single piece of birch plywood, with a thin outer layer of white American oak. The surface is unadorned, save for being treated with a hard wax oil.
Wood
Birch Plywood
White Oak
CNC
Brief description
Children's chair, 'Kumu', designed and manufactured by Unto This Last, London, 2021, CNC cut plywood.
Dimensions
  • Height: 440mm
  • Width: 300mm
  • Depth: 355mm
Gallery label
(31/06/2023)
Kumu kid’s chair

There are seven different parts to this chair, and all were CNC cut from one sheet of plywood.
(31/06/2023)
CNC cutting

That stands for Computer Numerical Controlled cutting, where a machine is controlled by a computer to make very precise cuts.

PROCESS

• Create a design in a Computer Aided Design (CAD) programme.
• Load the material and design – wood, plastic or metal – into the CNC machine.
• Press go.
Historical context
Opened in 2001, Unto This Last was an East London furniture workshop that undertook rapid manufacture of plywood furniture on a hyper-local scale. The business closed unexpectedly in 2021.

Advocating a return of craftsmen and workshops to urban areas, the workshop developed a production process intended to create ‘efficiency at a human scale’. Found on Brick Lane in East London, the workshop acted as design studio, manufacturing space and shop. Valuing ‘the logic of proximity’ over long-distance supply chains, Unto This Last sold their furniture at prices comparable to those of high street brands such as Ikea while ensuring a socially responsible practice and minimal footprint.

Significantly, the workshop utilised digital making techniques (such as CNC cutting) to optimise the use of each plywood sheet, reducing waste and the time and space needed for furniture production. Pieces were made from flat components with dry-fixed locking joints, enabling them to be stored flat before assembly, and eliminating the need for screws and mechanical fixings.

The Kumu kids chair was one of Unto This Last’s best selling pieces.
Collection
Young V&A Collection
Accession number
B.49-2022

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Record createdApril 9, 2021
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1604206/kumu-chair-unto-this-last/
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