Monolith
This project was a five-week exploration in creating a wooden monolith designed to be ergonomic to the human hand. The focus was on shaping wood into a simple yet refined form that balances aesthetics with comfort and usability. Through sketching, modeling, and hands-on prototyping, the design was refined to ensure it invited touch and interaction while maintaining the bold presence of a monolithic structure.
Modeling
Exploring Form and Ergonomics Through Clay
Clay model focused on hand ergonomics
Designed for two comfortable holding positions
Smooth contours balanced function and aesthetics
Practical to grip and inviting to touch
Encouraged interaction with intriguing form
Slicing
Translating Form Through Sliced Profiles
Final form sliced into ½-inch slabs
Traced onto wood with alternating grain patterns
Added perpendicular guidelines for alignment
Pieces cut, numbered, and prepped for assembly
Process highlighted the natural wood grain
Shaping
From Rough Edges to Ergonomic Surfaces
Glued monolith pieces together
Shaped form with a rasp to remove excess material
Refined with sanding from 80- to 3000-grit
Applied linseed oil to enhance texture and grain
