Robie 1

Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie 1 Chair unquestionably was meant to please the eye, not the body. In four steps, we made a complete analysis of the chair, including adjusting it to meet ergonomic standards as knowledge has advanced.

We began by making a simple full-size prototype with accurate angles and dimensions. We picked out an old chair that was at our dispense and were able to disguise it as the Robie 1 by attaching a long piece of cardboard with vertical dal rods to simulate the rungs in the back. This confirmed our suspicions that the 90Ð'o rigid back is uncomfortable and provides no lumbar support. Using the measurements from the dimensioned drawing, we found where the chair failed when compared to the anthropometrics of a human. With the seat at 18" high, it is 1.8" too short for the median man, 3.7" too short for the 99%, and .7" too tall for the 1%. This highlights the necessity for adjustable heights, however, we couldn't pin down how to make that work for a chair like this. Therefore, I will be drawing the chair for myself, with a seat at 20" high. The next issue deals with seat depth. At 17.9" deep, the chair is .8" too long for the median man, 2.7" too long for the 1%, and .5" too short for the 99%. However, after adding in the rule of having a fist-width between your leg and the edge of the chair, the seat is too deep for all of them. For myself, I estimate a necessary seat depth of 15". With a seat width of 15.75", it is 1.55" too wide for the median man, and 4.35" too wide for the 1%, and 1.15" too narrow for the 99%. However, the seat being wider than necessary is no problem, so I will leave it be.

The back of the chair causes a real dilemma. We needed to keep the essence of the original design while making it ergonomically sound. The wood in the back created problems until I thought of the Johnsonite Wallart line of wall base. It is sturdy, yet