sasha ritter + armand graham sculpt totoro wooden stools with a robot

sasha ritter + armand graham sculpt totoro wooden stools with a robot
all images courtesy of sasha ritter + armand graham

showcasing the natural beauty found in silver maple wood, the ‘totoro collection’ is a series of stools designed in collaboration by new york-based armand graham of timbr and sasha ritter. the versatile pieces are created from logs found in ithaca and crafted using a robot, which was previously employed by the automotive industry. the two ton arm of the machine was able to translate the computer generated form into a precise sculptural reality that could not have been achieved by hand. the object’s cracking, which occurs during the drying phase represents a tension between the manufacturing process and the natural material. this creates a different final outcome each time, no matter how much control the technology offers, the natural material has a life of its own.

view of the underside

the totoro in use as a side table

the robot begins to carve totoro

rough pass

final pass

the robot at work

sasha and armand testing it out

a digital rendering of the collection

top view

wood for the totoros are salvaged from scrap pieces from upstate new york

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.