ARBO - Julius Ziegler, Leon Ehrmann

ARBO is a stool printed exclusively in 3D, whose visual appearance is based on tree support structures. In the additive manufacturing process, these support structures are normally only a technical aid: they stabilize overhangs during printing and are then usually removed and disposed of. Here, their supporting and shaping role is deliberately made visible. The stool was printed from a biodegradable mixture of cork flour and gelatin. Branched structures are reminiscent of branches, roots, or small tree trunks and characterize both the statics and the external appearance of the object. Wood was specifically chosen as the material because it is intended to reinforce the analogy to “support trees”: Like natural trees, these structures grow efficiently, using minimal material and only where they need to bear weight. The stool challenges the usual approach to temporary pressure structures and shifts their meaning from disposable products to designed objects. The result is an object that combines digital manufacturing, natural design principles, and sustainable material selection.