3D Printed Table | ALEKSA studio

Made from CNC-milled walnut top and delicate 3-D prototyped legs, the table is dynamic, structurally challenging, and inspiring. The project is envisaged as a spatial construct informed by the extensive use of emerging digital fabrication tools.  The legs form a hyper-efficient lean structure with minimum weight capable of carrying a heavy piece of natural wood on top. The table performs in a natural-synthetic mode emphasised through the materiality between soft and hard, light and heavy.

The design was carefully crafted on the computer allowing for greater precision and perfect fit between the 3-D prototyped legs and the CNC milled top. The use of 3D modelling allowed for easy future design modifications and the potential to produce at various sizes upon request. A 3-D file of the top was sent to a CNC 3-axis milling machine which produced an identical copy of the 3-D model from a solid laminated walnut block. The top was machined from two sides to achieve the 3-dimensional undulating surface on the bottom. The machining took only 6 hours. The legs were 3-D printed using SLS rapid prototype machine to its maximum possible size. The 3-D prototype structure consists of 7 components that are seamlessly joined together through precise detailing. The 3-D model and digital methods of production allowed for great accuracy in the final pieces. The legs were left untreated while the top was carefully hand sanded and finished with a special varnish. The result is a bespoke side table that is not only practical but also emotionally and spatially charged.

Part of Centre National Des Arts Plastiques (CNAP) art & design collection

Exhibited at Clerkenwell Design Week, UK (2014)

Exhibited at the Centre Pompidou, France (2017)

Exhibited at Saint-Etienne Museum of Modern Art, France (2019)