Exploring Tensegrity as a Structural Strategy for a Usable Bench

This project investigates tensegrity as a structural strategy for a functional, human-scale bench. Tensegrity systems utilize a continuous network of tension to stabilize isolated compression members, resulting in structures that appear visually lightweight while maintaining load-bearing capacity. While tensegrity has been extensively studied in art, engineering, and small-scale models, its application to functional furniture that must safely support users and clearly communicate its structural logic remains limited. The objective is to design, fabricate, and evaluate a bench that employs tensegrity principles while guaranteeing physical stability, structural clarity, and visual appeal.
The project integrates prior research, structural analysis, digital modeling, and physical prototyping. Initial efforts examined tensegrity systems and adapted these concepts as a bench configuration featuring a floating seat, tubular compression members, and tension-based connections. Computer-aided design (CAD) modeling and scaled prototypes facilitated testing of geometry, spatial relationships, and assembly methods. Findings indicated that a structure resembling tensegrity may not exhibit true tensegrity behavior, prompting a deeper investigation into topology, equilibrium, and the relationship between member arrangement and structural stability.
MATLAB-based modeling was used to analyze tensegrity geometries, node positions, cable networks, and stable force relationships. This analytical approach guided the ongoing development of the bench, shifting the design process from appearance-driven modeling to system-oriented structural design. The final objective is to produce a functional bench that demonstrates tensegrity's potential to go beyond sculpture and conceptual experimentation into practical design applications.