LEAHARD - Leather Hardening Experimental Furniture
Category: Design*
Competitions: Taiwan Region
The LEAHARD experimental leather hardening furniture series is centered on the concept of “leather hardening as structure,” redefining the possibilities of leather craftsmanship in the field of furniture design. Through hardening and forming techniques, leather is transformed from a traditional covering material into a self-supporting structural entity that requires no internal support system. A single piece of leather integrates appearance, structure, and mechanical logic, supporting the overall spatial form and geometry of the furniture. During our research on the properties of vegetable-tanned leather, we discovered that applying heat can further harden pre-shaped leather. Without the use of any hardening agents, a certain level of structural support can still be achieved. The experimental approach involves shaping vegetable-tanned leather with water, then applying heat and pressure to challenge and break away from traditional leather manufacturing methods. Through repeated experimentation, each variable was quantified and recorded, allowing us to adjust parameters systematically in order to achieve the optimal hardening effect and structural performance.
